Jason Hardin, age 16, of Galveston, Texas, for his question:

WHO WERE THE NORMANS?

The Normans were a group of Scandinavian Vikings, or Norsemen, who first settled in France, and then spread into England, southern Italy and Sicily. In the 800s, Norman warriors started their conquests by raiding French coasts and river valleys.

By the early 900s, the Normans had colonized the French territory near the mouth of the Seine River that is now known as Normandy.

In 911, the Norman chief Hrolf, or Rollo, became a duke in the service of the Frankish king, Charles the Simple. The Normans became Christians and adopted French customs.

In 1066, Norman warriors under the leadership of William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England and Norman influence spread throughout the British Isles. During the same period, Norman groups won great victories in other lands including southern Italy.

As Robert Guiscard, a son of Tancred of Hautevilie, conquered southern Italy, Roger, another of Tancred's sons, took the island of Sicily from the Muslims. These two territories were later united in the famous Kingdom of the Two Sicilies by Roger's son, Roger II.