The Battle of Hastings 14 October 1066

Hastings was a defeat for Anglo-Saxon England, but not for the Englisc. Its legacy was that it would change England forever. But the language and culture would remain.

The Legacy

Yet where did it really leave the country? England was defeated by the Normans (‘Northmen’ or Norsemen, for they were of Viking origin who occupied Northern France in 911 AD.) Yet it was relatively few who occupied England. It could be said that they were closely related anyway. Certainly the Germanic language that is English survived. Our history and character is Anglo-Saxon. Normans and Saxons quickly formed allegiences to fight the Scots. Normans – like many others since – just became ‘absorbed’ by the Saxons. The sons of Normans quickly wore the long hair of Saxons and spoke Englisc. Mainly it could be said that France itself was Anglicized by the reverse process that followed with English Kings claiming parts of France until 1558. Hence the battles of Crecy and Agincourt. Re-runs of Hastings with a very different ending!

Victory at Stamford Bridge

The great battle of Hastings quickly followed the battle of Stamford Bridge. There the Anglo-Saxon English army led by Harold II had defeated an Viking army led by Harald Hardrada (‘Hard Reign’,) said to be personally built like a Norwegian cliff face and former Captain of the Byzantium Guard (The Varangian Guard.)

"The Fastest Marching Warriors in History"

Two weeks after the battle at Stamford Bridge, Harold Godwinson, (King Harold II of England) left the North of England marching down to Sussex on the English coast at legendary speed. 200 miles in 4 days with armour etc. This makes the English the fastest marching warriors in history. The modern English soldiers are still known for their speed marching abilities.

William of Normandy

William Duke of Normandy had by some route a claim to the throne of England. He actually knew Harold quite well. There may even have been substance to this claim. Angered that Harold had taken the throne he set to conquer England, and even had the blessing of the Pope. Some of his soldiers even regarded it as a ‘crusade’. Possibly the very first frustrations shown by Rome at England and the English. The Anglo-Saxons had after all wiped out a population of once Romano-Britons. William’s army landed on English shores on September 28th 1066.

Harold had expected the invasion by William. His army was depleted and exhausted by the fight at Stamford Bridge and the subsequent march South, but a fight is still a fight. Ignoring good sense to wait for Edwin Earl of Mercia and others to come to his aid he decided to do battle by defending the road to London. His scouts told him of William’s location, who was busying himself by brutalising villages in Sussex.

Harold sent word ‘to gather behind the ridge overlooking the Santlache valley…..’.

The two armies met on the glacial like ridge of Senlac Hill, with the English on top and the Normans looking up.

The Battle of Hastings on Senlac Hill

The English force is usually estimated at seven to eight thousand strong, and consisted entirely of infantry (the English rode to their battles, but did not fight from horseback). It comprised the English men-at-arms of the Select Fyrd, mainly Thegns (the English equivalent of a land-holding aristocracy,) along with a substantial amount of local peasant levies, lesser Thegns, and a core of professional warriors: Housecarls, the King's royal troops and bodyguards. The Thegns and Housecarls, probably veterans of the recent Stamford Bridge battle, were armed principally with swords, spears, and in some cases the formidable Danish axes, and were protected by coats of chainmail and their shields. They took the front ranks, forming a Shield Wall, with interlocking shields side by side. Behind the Thegns and Housecarls, the lesser Thegns and peasant levies were armed with whatever weapons they had at hand. The entire army took up position along the ridgeline; as casualties fell in the front lines the lesser thegns and peasants would move forward to fill the gaps.

The Normans were possibly quite confused by the English tactic of dismounting and suddenly massing as a wall. But they were experienced and had many mercenaries. They struck the English wall at about 10.00 am. An account states that: ‘all day long they stood there and we could not move them.’

We are to see here the first evidence of the type of resilience the English would show through the next 1000 years as warriors. And it was no stand off. William himself lost three horses. The English Huscarls fought with huge bravery. It is said that their long Dane axes could cut through a Norman knight and into his horse.

Harold II wields an axe beside the Fighting man and White Dragon Standards

Using feigned retreats the Normans began to dupe English into rushing from the Shield Wall to be cut down. Gradually as night came on, the Shield Wall was worn down into pockets of resistance. Harold fought with his loyal Huscarls, the standard of the English White Dragon flying alongside his personal standard of the ‘Fighting Man.’ Possibly brought down by a stray arrow hitting his eye, he was cut down with his Huscarls who fought to the last in the great tradition of the Saxon warrior ethos, to die alongside their leader.

It has been said that his body was mutilated, only to be recognised by his wife Edith, who saw a tattoo on his chest. It said simply - ‘England’

Others say that William had his remains buried in a cairn overlooking the English coast and Channel. It is recorded that William said of this cairn:

He remains in spirit there today – in all English men and women. A true English Warrior Leader.