a fierce warlike people of Norway, Denmark, and other parts of Scandinavia. They at different times overran and ravaged most countries in Europe: to the respective histories of those countries we therefore refer for a fuller account of them, as it is impossible to enlarge upon particulars in this place without repeating what has been already said, or may be said, in different parts of this work.

NORMAN Characters, a species of writing introduced into England by William I. From some old manuscripts the Norman writing appears to have been composed of letters nearly Lombardic. In regal grants, charters, public instruments, and law proceedings, this character was used with very little variation from the reign of the Conqueror to that of Edward III. See WRITING.