During the battle King Harald Hardrada of Norway was said to fight like a man possessed. By 1066 the ever-ambitious warrior—who, like Duke William of Normandy, was a potential claimant to the English throne—hungered for a new conquest. Chroniclers state that one of Harold’s housecarls found an empty swill tub upstream and, under the cover of overhanging willows, managed to glide undetected beneath the bridge. How many more would he have taken down I wonder if he had not been taken from beneath, Imagine how scared the Saxons must've been of this one man holding them back, Thanks, DD, That's how I imagined it would be, :). The 'Bridge Inn' at Stamford Bridge, close to the River Derwent sports a picture of the gigantic Norseman, who may have been one of Harald's own household warriors. What happened next has taken on a mythical quality but is largely accepted: As Harold’s troops reached the bridge, they were met by a lone Viking defender, who used his massive battle-ax to cut down numerous challengers (some sources claim 40 Saxons), much to the glee of onlookers on the east bank. But the fever of battle proved too much, and the Norwegians rejected the offer, opting to fight to the death in a “corpse ring” around their fallen leader. This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. This is feature allows you to search the site. Patrick Simmons, guitarist and vocalist for The Doobie Brothers band. Grover Norquist, founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform political group, which opposes all tax increases. For nearly a century afterward, the bleached bones of the dead are said to have littered the fields near Stamford Bridge. We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites. In fact, Earl Tostig was the reason King Harald Hardrada and his viking army were there, having convinced the Norwegian King to invade. Very interesting.. and maybe exciting and brutal to imagine. This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. For Harold and the victorious English, there was scant time for celebration. Tom Taylor, British playwright whose play Our American Cousin was being performed at Ford's Theater when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. He was cutting down Saxons left and right. One giant Norse berserker manned the bridge and dared the enemy to charge; they did and met death via the defender’s ax and sword. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. General Yakubu "Jack" Gowon, leader of Nigeria 1966-75; his government prevented Biafran secession during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-70). Although Harold’s 15,000 man force won a decisive victory as both enemy leaders died in battle, he lost up to 5,000 troops. Soon after assuming the throne of Norway in 1047, Hardrada—who was flamboyant as he was fierce and a prolific composer of heroic sagas—launched into a protracted war with Denmark, not tasting victory until 1064. I wonder how much of this story has been exaggerated. By September 24, Hardrada and Tostig were encamped in the meadows near the meeting place, with no inkling of the battle to come. Scurrying from court to court, he solicited support from first the French and Normans, then later the Scots and Norwegians. And his name was Tjodulfr "the strong one" let his name be known forever after!! This is the famous Battle of Stamford Bridge, where King Harold Godwinson fought to protect England from the Norwegian King, Harald Hardrada and his invading Northmen. Can you tell in witch part is mentioned? Copyright © 2020 HubPages Inc. and respective owners.HubPages Inc, a part of Maven Inc. As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. While the death totals may be exaggerated, this example points to the radical changes that have taken effect in warfare over the years. The viking chronicles and the Anglo-Saxon chronicles both tell the story of this nameless viking. After centuries of bloodshed and terror, the Viking Age in England had come to an end. The Battle of Stamford Bridge (Old English: Gefeoht æt Stanfordbrycge) took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, in England on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada and the English king's brother Tostig Godwinson. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. At the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25, 1066, Harold, the King of England, defeated his brother Tostig and the Norwegian King Harald. Tostig, perhaps feeling a tinge of regret, allowed his brother’s subterfuge to continue throughout the discussions. He mistakenly wrote of English huscarls riding into battle. Within four days the king’s army reached Tadcaster, near York, having traveled some 185 miles in one of military history’s great troop movements. Dozens of Saxon warriors tried to get past the Berserker, but they all failed as he killed at least 40 of them single-handedly. The lone warrior’s feat provided his compatriots with crucial time to assemble their defense. The ensuing clash was a daylong, bloody, shield-smashing slog, as opponents hacked, stabbed, bled and died for every inch of ground. The epic clash at Hastings on Oct. 14, 1066, would alter the course of Western history, and the Saxons had little choice but to meet it head on with whatever men they could muster. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. The Norse army was stunned by the sudden arrival of Harold’s Saxon forces and was completely unprepared. He dismissed the fyrd, or citizen militia, to the shires and sent back to London his fleet and force of housecarls—notoriously fierce, ax-wielding professional soldiers of Danish origin who’d served as royal bodyguards since the days of King Canute. The vanquished Norwegian nobles regrouped in the Orkneys and later retrieved Hardrada’s remains from England. After just two days of rest at York, he and his housecarls began a hasty ride back to London, which the exhausted men completed in just eight days. Amy Carter, daughter of American president (1977-81) Jimmy Carter, she engaged in social activism in the 1980s. 1 on both the Pop and Country charts of Billboard magazine. Despite being overshadowed by the loss to the Normans and death of King Harold at Hastings, the Battle of Stamford Bridge, one of England’s greatest military victories, marked the near-total defeat of a formidable foe led by a legendary warlord. Like the Norsemen the English - and Anglo-Danes who fought beside Harold II as huscarls - fought on foot, and treasured their mounts as part of their 'estate'. Whatever the numbers, the Vikings were renowned for their ferocity in combat, and the fighting is said to have lasted well into dusk, both sides sustaining heavy casualties. On the morning of September 25, Hardrada’s army was probably more concerned with sheltering from the autumn heat than preparing for an English attack. Harold is said to have offered his outcast brother reinstatement of his earldom and one-third of the kingdom; but when Tostig inquired as to Hardrada’s fate, Harold sternly replied, “We will give him seven feet of English ground or as much more, as he is taller than most men.” With his honor on the line, Tostig countered that he would not be remembered for bringing the king of Norway to England only to betray him. The Earl was then cut down and the vikings ran headlong into flight across the bridge, and it seemed that all would be lost for the vikings as they would never be able to mount an adequate defense in time. HubPages® is a registered Service Mark of HubPages, Inc. HubPages and Hubbers (authors) may earn revenue on this page based on affiliate relationships and advertisements with partners including Amazon, Google, and others. The English gained early momentum, especially on their left flank, but in the end Hardrada’s military expertise proved decisive. Waiting for them on ground now called Battle Flats, the Norsemen had formed into a traditional shield wall, against which the oncoming English smashed themselves like waves on a rocky shore, pitting famed housecarls against feared Vikings. Although Harold Godwinson repelled the Norwegian invaders, his army w… The Norsemen had formed into a traditional shield wall, against which the oncoming English smashed themselves like waves on a rocky shore. The surging English cut down scores of Vikings and drove still more into the river to drown. In September 1066, while England warily watched its southern coast, anticipating the Norman invasion force forming up across the channel, a nasty surprise erupted at the other end of the country: A fleet of 300 dragon-headed Viking longships descended from the northeast, bearing some 9,000 armed, plunder-seeking warriors.
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