The Battle of Stamford Bridge
20th September 1066:
Following the death of Edward I, Starkey describes how Harold Godwinson had received an indication of William of Normandy’s intention to invade and so stationed himself on the Isle of Wight so as to follow his developments. Meanwhile, Harald Hardrada set sail for England and an armada of 300 ships. He landed at Tyne where he met Tostig, the King’s estranged brother. Together, they sailed up the River Ouse and were heading to York when they were intercepted by Edwin and Morcar, Harold’s Earls. Whilst both sides suffered heavily as a result of the battle which ensued, Harald defeated Edwin and Morcar and continued on to York.
25th September 1066:
After receiving news of Hardrada intentions, King Harold marched his army from London to York in order to confront the Viking. They had travelled 180 miles in four days and were understandably tired by the time they arrived. Harold confronted the Viking Army at Stamford Bridge, a little North of York, catching his army in surprise. Harold apparently offered Tostig his Earldom back if he changed sides to join the Anglo-Saxons, but Tostig refused and alongside Hardrada, fell during the conflict which is now known as the Battle of Stamford Bridge. An interesting legend which would undoubtedly prove interesting to the class is the story of the single Viking axeman who was said to have single-handedly defended the bridge until an English soldier paddled beneath and ‘thrust a spear up through the wooden slats’, ‘pierc[ing] him terribly inward under the coat of mail’. The English were the ultimate victors with only 25 of the Vikings ships returning to Norway. Starkey is careful to emphasise the cost of the Battle for the English, however, and I think this is an important point. Although he describes it as the ‘most total, complete victory’ of the English over the Vikings, it arguably had a profound impact upon the following Battle of Hastings, for William set sail for England and landed at Pevensey on the 28th September a built a wood-stockade castle, just three days after Harold’s first battle.
The Battle of Hastings
14th October 1066:
Harold had aimed to catch William unawares as he had done with Hardrada, but William received warning of the attack on the 13th October. The English Army, comprised of 5000 men on foot armed with axes and spears, based themselves on the top of the hill. They initially experienced success during the Battle, using the Shield Wall method as a strategic means of defence, holding all of their shields together. As it appeared that the Normans were retreating, the Anglo-Saxons followed them down the hill, but were then hit with a counter attack from the Norman Cavalry. Rumours that William had been mortally wounded spread around the field, thus he took off his helmet to prove to his soldiers that he was still fighting. Following this, Harold was apparently wounded by an arrow to the eye and was then cut down by four Norman Knights, resulting in William’s victory. William’s coronation was held on 25th December 1066 at Westminster Abbey.
The Bayeux Tapestry – teaching the Battle of Hastings
These last two events of the Battle of Hastings are extremely well known scenes of the Bayeux Tapestry – a renowned piece of artistic political propaganda which has been used throughout history as a source for the events of the Battle of Hastings and the events which led up to it. Whilst the Bayeux Tapestry is a vital source for study of these events, it also provides an example to students of how history is often presented from biased perspectives, having been commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother. This would introduce the importance of pictorial sources in the study of past events, whilst also introducing the importance of critical study.
After teaching the events of The Battle of Hastings, I think it would be interesting to give the students copies of key scenes of the tapestry to identify and match up to the events discussed. Examples could be the different types of weaponry used by the Normans and Anglo-Saxons, the death of Harold, the appearance of Halley’s Comet in the sky as an evil omen upon Harold’s coronation, and the oath made to William in 1064.
Key points about the Tapestry:
- The original tapestry is displayed in Bayeux, but was most probably created in Winchester by a group of English Craftswomen following William’s success.
- Whilst it is called a tapestry, it is in fact a hand-stitched Embroidery made of woollen yarn on linen.
- It is over 70 metres long, half a metre wide and is incomplete.
- The work was designed to fulfil an both an educational and decorative role and evokes in the viewer the full intensity of the invasion through its panoramic feel.
- The direction of the figures dictate the direction in which the events should be read.
- The protagonists are often named and appear in the same clothes throughout the tapestry.
- Odo, as the patron, is portrayed as having a more significant role in the Battle of Hastings than other contemporary sources reveal, suggesting the biased nature of the source.
- Depictions of the preparations for invasion are also illustrated, showing methods of ship-making and the loading of the boats.
Useful links
On this website, you can scroll through each section of the tapestry, viewing specific sections alongside detailed descriptions of the events depicted.
The BBC website also provides useful photographs of aspects of the tapestry and assess the validity and reliability of the Tapestry as a historical source.
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