The Truth about IvanhoeIs Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe a true depiction of the Norman-Saxon feud? Yes, and through a comparison of the statements and ideas of Ivanhoe, Arthur and the Anglo Saxon Wars, The Anglo Saxons, Scott and England in Literature: America Reads, it will be proven that the Norman-Saxon feud was accurately described by Scott in Ivanhoe. In Ivanhoe, Prince John attempts to take over England while his brother, King Richard, is away fighting the Crusades. In the book there are essentially two sides to this struggle for control of England, the Normans and the Saxons. Prince John and his followers constitute the Normans, while the Saxons are led by the main character Wilfred of Ivanhoe. The Saxons try to stop Prince John from stealing the throne. The story takes place during the Third Crusade, but the feud between the Normans and Saxons in 1066 long before that time. In 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, the Normans, led by William I, defeated the Saxons and took control of England. Before that, the Saxons had ruled England for 600 years. During the battle, both sides fought fiercely. It was a bloody war and many people died. The Saxons had fought and won 21 wars to preserve their rule over England before their defeat at Hastings. The Normans came from France, which was hated by the English, so they had little chance of being liked by the Saxons. What little luck the Normans had was destroyed by William. He established a new, entirely Norman ruling class. He also took lands belonging to 5,000 to 6,000 Saxon nobles and gave them to 180 Normans who supported him. “The laws passed by William were oppressive and severe and the taxes were heavy.” The Saxons commonly referred to William as a tyrant for this reason. The Normans and Saxons were further separated by language. The Normans spoke French, the Saxons spoke English, and both groups generally refused to speak the other's language. There was a case in Ivanhoe where two Normans were guests at a Saxon castle. The Saxons refused to speak French and the Normans refused to speak English. Ultimately, both groups spoke only their native language, although they were fluent in French and English. Another example of Ivanhoe's Norman-Saxon feud occurred in the opening pages. Two Saxon servants met two Normans in the woods and the Normans asked them for directions to the nearest castle..