Lecture 10: 1066 Hastings—William Conquers England
x In the short term, Harold took the throne of England, but Harald
Hadrada and William of Normandy were determined to contest his
claim by force of arms.The Opponents
x Harold summoned his supporters and retainers, the professional
core of his army. He also called out the fyrd, a general summons
somewhat like a militia. By late summer, Harold had gathered
these forces in southern England near the coast, in anticipation of
William’s landing.x Meanwhile, William began mustering his troops and constructing
ships, but weather and other factors delayed him. By early
September, Harold’s men were running low on provisions and the
mandated tour of duty for the fyrdmen was expiring. He had to
begin disbanding his army.x Just then, Harald Hadrada landed a force of 300 to 500 ships in
northern England, moved inland, and captured York.x Harold Godwinson acted swiftly, recalling his troops and covering
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main Norse army at Stamford Bridge.x The Battle of Stamford Bridge was hard-fought. Hadrada was
eventually struck down by an arrow that pierced his windpipe, but
the Norsemen fought on even after their king was slain, bolstered
by the arrival of reinforcements from their ships.x In the end, the English prevailed, but both sides suffered heavy
casualties. Some have claimed the Battle of Stamford Bridge as
one of the key battles in world history, an argument that has some
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in England that might have oriented England toward Scandinavia
rather than the European mainland.