Battle of Stamford Bridge

From Metapedia

The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire in England on September 25, 1066, shortly after an invading Norwegian army under King Harald Hardrada defeated the army of the northern earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria at the Battle of Fulford two miles south of York. After a lengthy forced march up to Stamford Bridge that took place in just four days, King Harold Godwinson of England caught Harald's force by surprise, which meant that the soldiers were unarmoured. After a stubborn battle the majority of the Norwegians were killed, along with Harald Hardråde and Earl Tostig, Harold's brother.

[edit] Background

In September 1066, Viking invaders under King Harald Hardrada (Norwegian: Harald Hardråde), King of Norway, and Tostig (the expelled Earl of Northumberland) burned Scarborough. Harald Hardråde was pursuing dynastic claims with an army of Norwegians, Norwegian vassals, and allies, with the intent of conquest of England, rather than raiding. King Harold Godwinson and his brother Gyrth set out with their Housecarls and royal Thegns for Yorkshire to repel the Viking invasion. After Harold learned that Northumbrians were told to bring additional supplies and hostages to the Vikings at Stamford Bridge, Harold took his army to Stamford Bridge, where he hoped to surprise the Vikings. When Harold's forces came over the ridge, the Vikings were unarmored, since they were only expecting a hand over of supplies and hostages.

In his saga of Harald III of Norway, which was written around 1225, Snorri Sturluson described the disposition of the Norwegian troops. Sturluson also claimed that the Norwegians had left their byrnies at the ships and thus had to fight with only shield, spear and helmets. The sagas, however, are historical fiction which Snorri admits in his Prologue, "although we do not know the truth of these, we know, however, of occasions when wise old men have reckoned such things as true."

[edit] Battle

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Stamford Bridge was held by an enormous Norwegian berserker, armed with an axe, who kept intimidating and killing everyone who dared come too close to him. He wore no armor, so he was eventually killed by a spear from a boat that had sneaked underneath the bridge without him noticing. This delay gave Harald Hardråde time to form his army in a circle on high ground and let the English approach uphill with their backs to the river. After a stubborn battle with losses on both sides, although particularly bad for the unarmoured Norwegians, Harald Hardråde and Earl Tostig, Harold's brother, both fell.

The arrival of Norwegian reinforcements prolonged the battle, but in the end the Norwegian army was decisively defeated.

[edit] Aftermath

King Harold Godwinson accepted a truce with the surviving Norwegians, including Hardråde's son Olaf, and they were allowed to leave after giving pledges not to attack England again, thus marking the end of the Viking Age.

King Harold's success did not last, however. Little more than a fortnight after the battle, on October 14, after having marched his army all the way from Yorkshire, he was defeated and killed by Norman forces under William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. This began the Norman Conquest of England.