How were William's foot soldiers described?

• A. Norman and European soldiers; likely untrained with bows and crossbowmen
• B. Exclusively Norman archers
• C. Exclusively French knights
• D. Mercenaries from Scandinavia

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the makeup of William’s infantry at Hastings. His foot soldiers were mainly drawn from Norman and other continental European groups, not English longbowmen or native English troops. They fought as infantry and varied in training; while some units included archers or crossbowmen, they were not the highly specialized English longbow force that would become famous later. This is why describing them as Norman and European soldiers, likely untrained with bows and including some crossbowmen, fits best. The other possibilities imagine a more exclusive or different origin (pure Norman archers, exclusively French knights, or Scandinavian mercenaries), which doesn’t align with how William’s army actually comprised a mixed, continental infantry rather than a homogeneous force.