THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS AND THE BEGINNINGS OF ANGLO-NORMAN ENGLAND

ENGLISH VICTORY OVER THE VIKINGS: THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE

September 1066 AD. News of the sacking and burning of Scarborough around the 15 September by the Norsemen under King Harald Hardrada, and Tostig the expelled Earl of Northumbria was speedily brought to King Harold Godwinson who was in London. He was forced into making a difficult choice of whether to remain in the south to face the threat from William the Bastard of Normandy, or should he march north to support his brothers-in-law, Earls Edwin and Morcar against the invasion of his brother Tostig, and his Norse ally and claimant to the English throne, Harald Hardrada.

King Harold decided to march north to settle the matter of the Norse invasion at hand. Once that threat had been dealt with, he could make a quick return to the south to guard against the Norman threat. It is apparent from this decision that Harold was not aware that William was poised to sail, and the only thing preventing him from doing so was the unfavourable wind. Probably Harold had heard about William’s fleet being mauled during the Channel storm of the 12 September, which had destroyed part of his own fleet. There is also the hinted possibility that the fleets had clashed prior to the storm. This and the fact that the autumn storm season was about to begin may have been influential in his decision to march north and deal with the Norse threat.

20 September 1066 AD, the day of the Battle of Fulford, Harold and his brother Gyrth set out with their Huscarls and royal Thegns for the north. The mounted force met up with elements from the West Mercian and East Anglian Fyrd on the way north. The road distance from London to York is a good 320 km. on Sunday, 24 September, only four days after leaving London, the army rode into Tadcaster, which is about 16 km southwest of York. They had averaged an incredible 80 km per day!

Tadcaster was strategically situated for Harold. At this point, the old Roman road that Harold had taken north was very close to the south bank of the wharf, only 3.5 km from where Hardrada had left his fleet. Harold quickly learned of the defeat suffered by the Earls Edwin and Morcar at Fulford. Harold then sealed off Tadcaster, and placed guards at other strategic points on the way to York. Secure in the knowledge that his presence in the area was unknown and that he had taken all possible precau-tions to keep it that way, he allowed his army to rest and recuperate in the meadows around Tadcaster and continued to gather intelligence, and more men.

The war fleet of Earl Morcar’s English sailors, whose small fleet was moored at Ulle-skill, informed him that Hardrada and Tostig, and their army, had left York and re-turned to their fleet at Riccall. People who had been in York when it surrendered to Hardrada informed him that the city of York had been compelled to give supplies and hostages to the Norsemen. He also heard that the Northumbrians had been com-manded to bring additional supplies and 100 hostages to the Norse camp at Stamford Bridge.

Based upon the information he received, Harold decided that his best course of action was to go to York early the next morning, re-establish his authority there, and then take his army to Stamford Bridge, where his sudden and unexpected appearance would catch Harald Hardrada and Tostig off guard.

King Harold and the English army departed Tadcaster on Monday morning, 25 Sep-tember and rode to York. From there, with the few armed men the city could provide, he proceeded to Stamford Bridge, which is about 9 km or so to the northeast. Harold’s army kept to the Roman Road then halted at Helmsley Gate, just out of sight of Stamford Bridge. There they waited as the Norsemen leisurely arrived for the meeting. So relaxed were the Norsemen that many sunbathed whilst others went swimming in the river Derwent. When he determined the time was right, Harold ordered the Huscarls and Fyrdmen forward.

As Harold’s English army came over the rise on the hill and facing south having come from the direction of York, the sun reflected off of their helms, spears, swords and long axes, at the same moment the English shield wall locked, and the rhythmic crash of axe, spear and sword began to rise, as yet again that war cry arose from the hard deep booming voices of the English warriors, a war cry, or chant as old as the English Warrior himself, a war cry that is as much apart of the English Warrior’s soul, as is the shield wall, “UT, UT, UT, UT!”, “OUT, OUT, OUT, OUT!”. The Norsemen were completely stunned, and were taken by complete surprise. The complete surprise that Harold wanted had been achieved. As they were only expecting a hand over of supplies and hostages, Harald Hardrada, Tostig, and the Norse army had left them-selves without their armour, which they had sent back to their ships. Adding to their woes was the fact that they had left about a third of the 5,000 men remaining to them after the fight at Fulford Gate to guard the ships.

The Norse were caught with their force divided, a smaller group on the northern end of the bridge with the English bearing down on them, whilst the larger part was on the southern end.

Harald Hardrada did not know the lay of the land, nor did he have any sort of plan in mind, simply because he had not expected another fight, nor did he expect Harold and his English force to move so fast in less than four days. King Harold’s rebel brother, Tostig, had been Earl of Northumbria for ten years and was very well acquainted with the area and knew his brother’s fighting capabilities first hand. He urged Hardrada not to accept battle but to immediately retreat as quickly as possible back to Riccall. Hardrada considered this, but decided to give battle because he knew Harold’s Huscarls would surely close in upon his flank and rear before long. He may have reasoned that Harold would have sent a small force ahead to Kexby, to secure the essential crossing of the River Derwent at that place, thereby blocking any further retreat to Riccall.

On deciding to accept battle, Hardrada quickly dispatched a messenger back to Eystein Orre, the commander of the contingent he had left behind at Riccall, ordering him to bring up the remaining third of his army to Stamford Bridge as quickly as pos-sible. Then, he quickly evacuated most of his men who were on the north bank, to the south bank, leaving a small rear-guard to hold the bridge. Hardrada and Tostig had just enough time to form their best armed men into a line of defence along a ridge about 300 yards south east of the Derwent.

The rear-guard at the bridge was not able to hold the advancing English for long, and was quickly overwhelmed, though one saga tells that after his comrades had been killed, a lone berserker held the English warriors at bay. Wielding his long handled battle axe, (From the Old English – Wealdan, Wieldan or to govern, subdue, directly of Germanic origin; the Germanic word Walten.) swinging left and right, cutting each Englishman that came upon him. During this time while the English on the Bridge were keeping the Norseman occupied, an English warrior made his way under the bridge in a boat - some say a barrel, he had himself rowed under the bridge, then using his spear, he thrust upwards through the planks and between the Norseman’s legs skewering the brave warrior to the spot with his spear. He was left there still upright by the English as they poured over the bridge.

Once the English force were over the bridge, the English formed themselves into their shield wall several ranks deep, facing the enemy deployed along the ridge above them. Harold rode up and offered his brother, Tostig, his life and his Earldom, if he would lay down his arms and join him, possibly Harold knew that the offer was unlikely to be accepted, but knowing that, if it were accepted, it would damage the Norse army’s morale. Tostig asked what English lands Harold would give to Harald of Norway if the Norse army were dismissed. King Harold’s reply was that as Harald was taller than most men, he would be granted ‘seven feet of good English earth!’

_{An English Huscarl swings into the Vikings in the final moments of the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Artist: Huscarl (permission by copyright only.)}

After the entire English army was across the bridge and deployed into the line, the English advanced forward. The enemy’s lack of armour would have counted against them. The English were also at a disadvantage after a 19 km march that morning from Tadcaster to Stamford Bridge. The slaughter on both sides was bloody and high and hacking, struggling and stabbing warriors on both sides were tight packed, as the bat-tle was swinging back and fourth, as the hard bloody fighting wore on, Harald Hardrada was struck by an arrow in the throat, at which time Tostig assumed to com-mand, and took his stand by the Black raven banner “The Land Ravager” or “Waster”. After Hardrada was killed Harold called a pause, offering his half-brother his life, and quarter to the Norsemen, but like their English brethren would have done, they re-fused quarter (mercy,) saying;

With quarter refused, the English attacked again with renewed strength and blood lust, as the fighting continued back and fourth, Tostig was slain, but with both leaders killed the Norsemen continued the fight, breaking up into small groups. The Norsemen were still fighting hard when Eystein Orre arrived with the reinforcements. However, these men proved to be unfit to give assistance, not because they were unfit as fighting men, but because of the forced march they had been compelled to make on that unusually hot day, their energy, was spent, and they too were quickly over-whelmed and Eystein Orre was killed. The Battle of Stamford Bridge was a resound-ing victory for the English and an overwhelming defeat for the Norsemen. The surviv-ing Norsemen fought a slow and bloody retreat back to Riccall under hot and bloody English pursuit. There was a last ditch stand at the fleet, but it was soon ended and the surviving Norsemen capitulated to Harold, but Harold desiring total victory - not a bloody massacre - let them go, of the 360 or so ships only 36 left the English shore. A pitiful return to Norway awaited them. But the danger for England was not over. Wil-liam the “Bastard” still waited on the French side of the English Channel.