The Battle of Hastings: Background

Edward the Confessor died on January 5, 1066. Edward had snow white hair and was known for his piety and, although he married, had never had children. The Godwinson family had had a great deal of power during Edward's reign, and now his brother-in-law, Harold, became king of England. According to some stories and to the Bayeux Tapestry, Edward bequeathed his queen and his kingdom to Harold's protection; other sources also make clear that Harold was elected as King of England. William, Duke of Normandy, was outraged when this occurred, as he had believed that Edward had promised him the throne in 1051 during a visit he made to England; this oath was confirmed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert. He was a distant relative of Edward's (his great-great aunt was Edward's mother), while Harold was not of royal blood. Further, Harold had been shipwrecked off the coast of Normandy and taken to William in 1064. There, he was given protection, and was said to have sworn and oath of fealty on holy relics to William, accepting his succession to the throne upon the death of Edward. This event is depicted on the Bayeux tapestry; if it actually happened, the fact that the oath was sworn over relics would certainly have made it a binding one.

William protested to no avail to the English, and then to Pope Alexander II, who gave him his blessing, a gonfanon or banner, and possibly a hair of St. Peter. In a ring, which William was to wear in battle. The pope also gave William permission to reform the English church. Armed with papal approval, William began preparations for an invasion.

Not only was it the worst time of year to cross the channel, but it was a monumental project which most men would not have contemplated nor have expected to succeed. The preparations took seven months. Many panels of the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the preparation of ships and weapons. He needed a huge fleet; he brought some 7,000 men with him, including 2-3,000 knights and their horses. This would have taken some 600 ships to transport.

The Normans were known for being able to transport horses, a factor which accounted for a great deal of their success in battles abroad. This one would be no different, but there were other factors which also helped William to succeed.

Harold's half-brother Tostig had been banished from the kingdom in 1065, and had organized a series of raids in 1066 on the English coast. Although unsuccessful, he had caused major disruption and had also formed an alliance with Harold Hardrada, the king of Norway. In mid-September, before William could set sail, Harold and Tostig arrived in England. They went to York, a Viking stronghold g during the ninth century. They defeated an army led by Edwin of Mercia and Morcar, and entered York in triumph. There, they convinced some of the inhabitants to join forces with them, indicating that not even the English were solidly behind Harold. Hardrada and Tostig then moved to Stamford Bridge, about seven miles to the east. Their arrival forced Harold of England to change his strategy. Until now, he had concentrated his forced in the south in preparation for William of Normandy's attack. His men had already begun to disband, they were weakened by dysentery and, after the three-day march to York, were exhausted.

Harold met the invaders at Stamford Bridge, and routed them, killing both Tostig and Hardrada, known as one of the greatest "berserkers" in Viking history.

This is a monument in modern Stamford to the famous Battle of Stamford Bridge, which many scholars would say is more important than the subsequent Battle of Hastings. .

This is the modern bridge at Stamford. It is hard to imagine the desperate, vicious hand-to-hand combat that occurred here on that fateful day in 1066. Today, the town is peaceful and idyllic, and the river smoothly and quietly flows under the bridge.

Continue to the next page: The Norman Invasion

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Dr. Deborah Vess
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Amarillo College
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