The Battle of Stamford Bridge Year 7 History L2 Kings and Conquest Learning Objective: To explain why there was a succession crisis in 1066 and analyze how it was resolved To define historical significance

1. You don’t need to read this summary. Go straight to the first chapter if you want to. 2. This text looks mainly at medieval Kings not ordinary people. 3. However, there will be another study guide looking at ordinary people. It is called Medieval Lives. 1. You can skip this bit and go straight to the first chapter if you want. However, you might find it useful to come back to later on. This is a brief summary of what the book aims to cover. 2. This text focuses more on the Kings and ruling classes of medieval society but 3.if you more interested in studying other areas of medieval society, you will find the sec- ond study guide “Medieval Lives”, a perfect fit. Let’s get started. 1. Our story begins in 1066 with the death of the English King Edward. 2. Edward had no children. Therefore, it was unclear who should follow him. 3. Four different men thought they should be King after Edward. 4. An english earl, Harold Godwinson made himself King. The others were unhappy and would fight for the throne. 1. We begin our journey into Kings and Conquest in the year 1066 and the death of Edward the Confessor, the King of England. 2.The problem was that Edward left no clear heir to the throne of England and there were no clear laws governing succession to the throne. 3.Furthermore, there were four rival candidates, all of whom thought they should be king. 4.One of Edward’s most powerful earls, Harold God- winson, had himself crowned king on the very next day after Edward died. The stage was set for conflict. i Overview

Recap THE LAST SAXON KING Harold has made himself king, the succession crisis is about to begin

1. Harold had no blood connection to Edward. Furthermore, he may have promised to support William before Edward died. 2. Harold was made King so quickly it suggests that there was some doubt about his right to the throne. 3. William did not invade immediately so Harold disbanded his army. 4.King Harald of Norway was the first challenger. 5.He arrived in the North of England with a huge invasion fleet. liam of Normandy’s claim after Edward died. One important thing to remember is that at this time there were no fixed rules governing the succession to the throne. 2.The very next day after Edward’s death there was a meeting of the Witan to decide who would become the next king of England. On 6th January 1066, the Witan decided that Harold, the Earl of Wessex was to be the next king of England. 3.Harold was clearly expecting Duke William and the Normans to pose the main danger to his new kingdom, as he positioned his troops on the south coast of England. Harold's army was made up of housecarls and the fyrd. Yet, with no sign of invasion by the 8th September 1066, Har- old decided to send his soldiers home. His army had ran out of food and he knew that his men had to harvest their crops. 7 SECTION 1 Harold Godwinson "Harold was very tall and handsome, remarkable for his physical strength, his cour- age and eloquence, his ready jests and acts of valour. But what were these gifts to him without honour, which is the root of all good?" -Orderic Vitalis, 11th century 1.The last Anglo-Saxon King of England, Harold Godwinson ruled from 6 January 1066 until his brutal death on Senlac Hill on 14 Octo- ber. Harold’s claim to the throne of England after Edward’s death was two-fold. Firstly, his sister had married Edward; Secondly, that Edward promised him the throne just before he died on 5th January, This was a problem as William felt that Harold had promised to support Wil-

Harold was clearly expecting Duke William and the Normans to pose the main danger to his new kingdom as he positioned his troops on the south coast of England. Harold's soldiers were made up of housecarls and the fyrd. Yet, with no sign of invasion by the 8th September 1066, Harold decided to send his soldiers home. His army had ran out of food and he knew that his men had to harvest their crops. 8

A. He took the throne so quickly after Edward’s death B. He had sworn a previous oath to support William C. Other people wanted the throne! D. He sent his troops directly to the South of England which suggests he expected a Norman attack E. A combination of answers above 8 Q1: What grounds are there for thinking Harold was NOT as sure of his claim to the throne as he appeared?

A. B. C. D. E. 8 Q2: What evidence is there for thinking Harold was NOT expecting an attack from the Norwegians?

1. Hardrada wandered all over Europe in his youth and had served the Byzantine emperors. 2. Hardrada had returned to Norway and became King. 3. Tostig Godwinson encouraged Harald to invade England. The Norse army was large and had sailed in around long-ships. 4. Hardrada was defeated at Stamford Bridge so badly it took only 24 longships to take the survivors back to Norway. 5. Shortly after the battle, news reached Harold that the Normans had landed in the South of England. was not looking very secure after Olaf’s death, Harald escaped to Kiev before taking up service with the Byzantine emperors in Constan- tinople. Harald became a member of the elite Vangarian guard, and soon rose through the ranks. He had a very successful career in the im- perial army before returning to Norway in Two years later, he became king after the death of his nephew. As well as fighting a long war with the Danes, which did not end until 1064, he acquired a reputation for toughness and brutality (Hardrada means ‘Hard Ruler’). 3.After Edward the Confessor’s death, Tostig, the brother of Harold Godwinson, went to Norway to meet Hardrada. Tostig was angry at his brother after he had been deprived of his earldom in the North of Eng- land. The two men agreed to invade England and in early September around 200 ships sailed along the coast. They sacked the town of Scar- borough, and defeated Earl Morcar's army. Four days later, the Norse- 9 SECTION 2 TheWarrior King of the North “Harald was, also, above all men, bold, brave, and lucky, until his dying day” -Snorri Sturluson Harald Sigurdsson was born in 1016 and was the half-brother of Olaf, the King of Norway. Harald fought beside Olaf when the king was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in Realizing that his future

men easily captured York, a town with strong links to Scandinavia. This early success means that it seems likely that theinvaders had many supporters among the local population. 4.On 25th September, Harold's army arrived in Yorkshire.They took Tostig and Hardrada by surprise at Stamford Bridge. It was a hot day and the Norwegians had taken offtheir mail shirts. The English troops crushed the Norse army and both Hardrada and Tostig were killed. 10

A. B. C. D. E. 8 Q3: Which is the best summary of events at Stamford Bridge?

8 Godwinson’s triumph was short-lived as news soon reached him that Duke William of Normandy had landed unopposed in the South of England

8 Key Concept: Historical Significance Whether or not an event, person, or other historical Factor is important.