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The reason why the Battle of Stamford Bridge happened comes down to one person- Tostig, the Earl of Northumbria and younger brother of Harold Godwinson. Tostig was a brutal tyrant who was callously mis-ruling his lands. Eventually he was driven out of the country in 1065, and bore a grudge against his brother for failing to support him.
Harold Godwinson claimed the English throne in early 1066. He had no good claim on it in terms of succession- there were several others with far more legitimate claims on the title. However he did have some big factors in his favour- he was by some margin the best leader in the running, and he had a large army at his disposal. This dissuaded one of the rival claimants from invading- that claimant was Harold Hardrada, who already ruled Orkney and the Western Isles. However Tostig fled to Hardrada's court and persuaded him to launch a campaign, knowing that Harold Godwinson was facing enemies on two fronts, with William "The Bastard" of Normany threatening to invade from the south.
In September 1066, Hardrada sailed from Norway with 200 ships, picking up reinforcements at Orkney. Ath the Tyne he met up with Tostig, who had raised an army from Scotland and Man. Before them lay Godwinson's army of the North, commanded by the Earls Morcar and Edwin. What followed was a military disaster for England. Morcar and Edwin had been ordered to pull back from pitched battle until reinforced by Harold's forces, who were charging northwards. However they were suicidally overconfident, and on September 20th at Fulford, they launched an assault on Hardrada's army. They were annihilated. With the Army of the North crushed, York was helpless and agreed to surrender. The delighted Hardrada and Tostig retired to Stamford Bridge to await the negotiators. There they got the shock of their lives.
Harold Godwinson was unquestionably a strategic genius. Somehow he managed to rush an army across hundreds of miles of dirt tracks, and in the early morning of the 25th of September the Saxon forces charged the astonished and unprepared Vikings. It should have been a massacre, but something utterly incredible happened.
Stamford Bridge was a narrow wooden crossing across a treacherous river. A lone, enormous Viking berzerker raced to it in order to face the charging Saxons. He made it to the bridge in time, and cut down the first wave of attackers. Then the second wave too. Then the third, the fourth and fifth. For an hour, one man held back an entire army, while Hardrada's forces frantically retreated to a defensive position. It was a heroic stand that made Thermopylae look like a mild squabble with a bunch of fashion consultants in comparison. Harold threw everything at him, but the berzerker (whose identity is not known) just hacked then down. Finally the Saxons hid a spearman in a coracle, and floated him under the bridge. As it passed under the berzerker, the spearman leapt up and impaled him up the arse. It was a fairly ignominious end to an act of heroism.
With Hardrada now dug in, negotiations took place. Harold offered Tostig sanctuary and lands if he called off the hostilities. Hardrada chimed in with "What will you offer me?", whereupon Harold icily responded "Six feet of English soil. Perhaps a little more, as you are so tall." Hostilities promptly resumed.
Hardrada's Vikings were legendary one-on-one warriors, but Harold's Saxons were a highly disciplined and effective infantry backed up by his elite axe-wielding huscarls, and they were fighting on their home ground. The Viking invaders were defeated soundly, with both Hardrada and Tostig killed. Harold Godwinson had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but just two days later William of Normandy land in Kent, hundreds of miles to the south.....
Harold Godwinson claimed the English throne in early 1066. He had no good claim on it in terms of succession- there were several others with far more legitimate claims on the title. However he did have some big factors in his favour- he was by some margin the best leader in the running, and he had a large army at his disposal. This dissuaded one of the rival claimants from invading- that claimant was Harold Hardrada, who already ruled Orkney and the Western Isles. However Tostig fled to Hardrada's court and persuaded him to launch a campaign, knowing that Harold Godwinson was facing enemies on two fronts, with William "The Bastard" of Normany threatening to invade from the south.
In September 1066, Hardrada sailed from Norway with 200 ships, picking up reinforcements at Orkney. Ath the Tyne he met up with Tostig, who had raised an army from Scotland and Man. Before them lay Godwinson's army of the North, commanded by the Earls Morcar and Edwin. What followed was a military disaster for England. Morcar and Edwin had been ordered to pull back from pitched battle until reinforced by Harold's forces, who were charging northwards. However they were suicidally overconfident, and on September 20th at Fulford, they launched an assault on Hardrada's army. They were annihilated. With the Army of the North crushed, York was helpless and agreed to surrender. The delighted Hardrada and Tostig retired to Stamford Bridge to await the negotiators. There they got the shock of their lives.
Harold Godwinson was unquestionably a strategic genius. Somehow he managed to rush an army across hundreds of miles of dirt tracks, and in the early morning of the 25th of September the Saxon forces charged the astonished and unprepared Vikings. It should have been a massacre, but something utterly incredible happened.
Stamford Bridge was a narrow wooden crossing across a treacherous river. A lone, enormous Viking berzerker raced to it in order to face the charging Saxons. He made it to the bridge in time, and cut down the first wave of attackers. Then the second wave too. Then the third, the fourth and fifth. For an hour, one man held back an entire army, while Hardrada's forces frantically retreated to a defensive position. It was a heroic stand that made Thermopylae look like a mild squabble with a bunch of fashion consultants in comparison. Harold threw everything at him, but the berzerker (whose identity is not known) just hacked then down. Finally the Saxons hid a spearman in a coracle, and floated him under the bridge. As it passed under the berzerker, the spearman leapt up and impaled him up the arse. It was a fairly ignominious end to an act of heroism.
With Hardrada now dug in, negotiations took place. Harold offered Tostig sanctuary and lands if he called off the hostilities. Hardrada chimed in with "What will you offer me?", whereupon Harold icily responded "Six feet of English soil. Perhaps a little more, as you are so tall." Hostilities promptly resumed.
Hardrada's Vikings were legendary one-on-one warriors, but Harold's Saxons were a highly disciplined and effective infantry backed up by his elite axe-wielding huscarls, and they were fighting on their home ground. The Viking invaders were defeated soundly, with both Hardrada and Tostig killed. Harold Godwinson had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but just two days later William of Normandy land in Kent, hundreds of miles to the south.....
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