Battle of Stamford Bridge

Battle of Stamford Bridge
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Painting of the Battle of Stamford Bridge by Peter Nicolai Arbo, depicting King Harald Hardrada hit in the neck by an arrow
Date 25 September 1066 Location Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, England Result Decisive English victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of England	Kingdom of Norway Earldom of Orkney English rebels
Commanders and leaders
Harold Godwinson	Harald Hardrada† Tostig Godwinson†
Strength
~15,000	9,000 (of which 3,000 engaged late in battle) 300 transport ships
Casualties and losses
~5,000 dead	~6,000 dead

The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire in England on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway (Old Norse: Haraldr harðráði) and the English king's brother Tostig Godwinson. After a bloody and horrific battle, both Hardrada and Tostig along with most of the Norwegians were killed. Although Harold Godwinson repelled the Norwegian invaders, his victory was short-lived: he was defeated and killed by the Normans at Hastings less than three weeks later. The battle has traditionally been presented as symbolising the end of the Viking Age, although in fact major Scandinavian campaigns in Britain and Ireland occurred in the following decades, notably those of King Sweyn Estrithson of Denmark in 1069–70 and King Magnus Barefoot of Norway in 1098 and 1102–03.

Background

The death of King Edward the Confessor of England in January 1066 had triggered a succession struggle in which a variety of contenders from across north-western Europe fought for the English throne. These claimants included the King of Norway, Harald Hardrada, who assembled a fleet of 300 ships, probably carrying about 15,000 troops, to invade England. Arriving off the English coast in September he was joined by further forces recruited in Flanders and Scotland by Tostig Godwinson. Tostig was at odds with his elder brother Harold (who had been elected king), having been ousted from his position as Earl of Northumbria and exiled in 1065, and had mounted a series of abortive attacks on England in the spring of 1066. In the late summer of 1066, the invaders sailed up the Ouse before advancing on York. Outside the city they defeated a northern English army led by Edwin, Earl of Mercia and his brother Morcar, Earl of Northumbria at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September. Following this victory they received the surrender of York. Having briefly occupied the city and taken hostages and supplies from the city they returned to their ships at Riccall. They offered peace to the Northumbrians in exchange for their support for Harald's bid for the throne, and demanded further hostages from the whole of Yorkshire.

At this time King Harold was in Southern England, anticipating an invasion from France by William, Duke of Normandy, another contender for the English throne. Learning of the Norwegian invasion he headed north at great speed with his houscarls and as many thegns as he could gather, travelling day and night. He made the journey from London to Yorkshire, a distance of about 185 miles, in only four days, enabling him to take the Norwegians completely by surprise. Having learned that Northumbrians had been ordered to send the additional hostages and supplies to the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge, Harold hurried on through York to attack them at this rendezvous on 25 September. Until the English army came into view the invaders remained unaware of the presence of a hostile army anywhere in the vicinity.

Location

According to Darby and Maxwell (1977, 176), there was likely a village at Stamford Bridge in 1066 even though it was not mentioned in the Domesday Book. There was no village at Stamford Bridge in 1066 and not even in 1086 when the Domesday Book was compiled. The name is locative and descriptive of crossing points over the River Derwent being derived from a combination of the words stone, ford and bridge i.e. stoneford and bridge. At the location of the present village, within the river bed, there is an outcrop of stone over which the river once flowed as a mini-waterfall. At low water levels one could easily cross over the river at this point, either on foot or horseback. However, there seems to be a consensus among scholars that the river may not have been fordable on 25 September and did not play a role in the battle.

One mile to the south along the River Derwent at Scoreby lies the site of a 1st to 4th century Roman settlement known as Derventio. The town runs for two and a half miles east/west alongside a Roman road. Occupying both east and west banks of the river, the town was connected by the construction of a bridge which carried the road. There is no archaeological evidence for a Roman bridge construction at or near the present site of Stamford Bridge.

Whether there is any validity in the story of the huge Viking who stood his ground on a bridge against the might of Harold Godwinson's army we will never know, but the fact is that a bridge was mentioned in both Manuscript C of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and again in its extended 12th century version.

It is possible that there may have been a two-pronged attack by Godwinson on Hardrada's army, making use of both the ford and perhaps the remnants of the earlier Roman bridge one mile to the south, information of which, and of the two road routes to the location from York, could have been gathered from Godwinson's earlier occupation of the city of York.

Topographically, on the east bank of the river from the bridge crossing point, the land rises sharply up to 100 feet at High Catton. This is the only high ground around and a good defensive position for Hardrada's army caught out by Godwinson's sudden appearance on the skyline, as he rounded the ridge at Gate Helmsley to drop downhill swiftly onto Hardrada's unsuspecting army.

Battle

Battle of Stamford Bridge.
From 13th century Anglo-Norman manuscript.

The Vikings were at an enormous disadvantage. Their army was divided in two; with some of their troops on the west side of the River Derwent and the bulk of their army on the east side. They were not expecting English intervention, and since it was an unseasonably warm day for late September; they left their armour behind at their ships. The English army arrived and annihilated the Vikings who fought a futile defence on the west side of the river. By the time the bulk of the English army had arrived, the Vikings on the west side were either slain or fleeing across the bridge, Harald Hardrada summoned Tostig who that another army might be. Tostig replied thinking it could be more relief force come to their allies. Before the battle commenced with Harold Godwinson accompany by his twenty Hurscal knights with him to meet Tostig and Harald on the bridge to apposed them it was sibling rivalry with Harold promised Tostig his previous earldom of Northumbria by return home. Not only that but he will received 1/3 of all third England reward of deserting Hardrada. Tostig demanded what he will give to his ally Harald Hardrada for all his troubles. The rider replied with a smile.”He may be seven feet of the England ground or he maybe better need he’s taller than other man.” That mean that his brother had said he returned to England to bring Harald Hardrada Norwegian king to betrayed him. Tostig then turned his horse and rode off. After the negotiations was at un successful end. Tostig and Hardrada quickly prepared organising the chaotically arrayed Norse warriors into a cohesive of battle formation.

The English advance was then delayed by the need to pass through the choke-point presented by the bridge. A later folk story has it that a giant Norse axeman (possibly armed with a Dane Axe) came on the bridge a powerful warrior blocked the narrow crossing, and single-handedly held up the entire English army. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that this axeman cut down up to 40 Englishmen this gives Tostig and Hardrada some time of get his warriors make a shieldwall. He was only defeated when an English soldier floated under the bridge in a half-barrel and thrust his spear through the laths in the bridge, mortally wounding the axeman. At this time Tostig advised Harald to retreat back to the Norse monarch and to fight when conditions were better. But Harald Hardrada refused knowing his army may had required a won victory since his first won at Fulford Gate. He sent two man on the fastest horses ever to return to the fleet at Riccall to fetch his reserve units at once to aid their king. Whatever the delay, this had allowed the bulk of the Norse army to move at small hill as Battle Flats to form a shieldwall to face the English attack. As since after last portion units of Vikings getting to the position a line the English horseman charged up the hill and attack at the Norse shield-wall. The Norwegians held firm and suffered the casualties to the English horseman then fled or a feigned retreat. Seen the blood at the river Harald ordered his veteran take advantage to charged down the slope breaking the hitherto successful shield wall as process as Harold's army advance as well met the ferociously charging but disorganised warriors with well-ordered ranks of spearman and war-axes and swordsman halting them. The battle went far beyond the bridge itself, and although it raged for hours the Norse army's decision to leave their armour behind left them at a distinct disadvantage. Eventually, the Norse army began to fragment and fracture, allowing the English troops to force their way in and break up the Scandinavians' shield wall but the English had difficulty time to break through and Vikings become more aggressively. Many both sides suffered casualties. Completely outflanked according to Norway Saga told that massive King of Norway Harald Hardrada fought like a powerful lion neither with his armour or his shield swinging his weapons each hand killing and slaying many unfortunate enemy Saxons enough to cross his path even Tostig fought along with him fight like a true berserker. When the English cavalry winged around and attack the Norseman caught off guard. Soon message was called the reforcement had race towards the battlefield at fast pace. In his way at this point Harald Hardrada was killed with an arrow to his wind pipe and Tostig slain, the Norwegian army disintegrated and was virtually annihilated.

In the later stages of the battle, the Norwegians were reinforced by troops who had been left behind to guard the ships at Ricall, led by Eystein Orri, Hardrada's daughter's fiancé. Some of his men were said to have collapsed and died of exhaustion upon reaching the battlefield. These men, unlike their comrades, were fully armed for battle. Their counter-attack, described in the Norwegian tradition as "Orri's Storm", briefly checked the English advance, but was soon overwhelmed and Orri was slain by a Saxon warrior. The Norwegian army routed, pursued by the English army, some of the fleeing Norsemen drowned in the rivers.

So many died in an area so small that the field was said to have been still whitened with bleached bones 50 years after the battle.

Aftermath

A 19th century illustration for Harald Hardraada saga, Heimskringla

King Harold accepted a truce with the surviving Norwegians, including Harald's son Olaf and Paul Thorfinnsson, Earl of Orkney. They were allowed to leave after giving pledges not to attack England again. The losses the Norwegians had suffered were so horrific that only 24 ships from the fleet of over 300 were needed to carry the survivors away. They withdrew to Orkney, where they spent the winter, and in the spring Olaf returned to Norway. The kingdom was then divided and shared between him and his brother Magnus, whom Harald had left behind to govern in his absence.

Three days after the battle, on 28 September, the Normans under William II landed on the south coast of England. King Harold had to rush his battered, weary army south to meet the new invasion. Less than three weeks after Stamford Bridge, on 14 October, Harold was defeated and killed at the Battle of Hastings, beginning the Norman Conquest of England, and ending the Anglo-Saxon era. So many English senior Thegns and lesser noblemen died at Stamford Bridge and Hastings that it was difficult for the Anglo-Saxons to resist their new Norman lords; there were literally no leaders with standing to rally around.

Monuments

Village Monument

Stamford Bridge battlefield memorial near Whiterose Drive

Two monuments to the battle have been erected in and around the village of Stamford Bridge.

Village Monument

The first memorial is located in the village on Main Street (A116). The monument's inscription reads (in both English and Norwegian):

THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE
WAS FOUGHT IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD
ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1066

The inscription on the accompanying marble tablet reads:

THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE
KING HAROLD OF ENGLAND DEFEATED
HIS BROTHER TOSTIG AND KING HARDRAADA OF NORWAY HERE ON
25 SEPTEMBER 1066.

Battlefield Monument

A second monument is located at the battlefield site at the end of Whiterose Drive. This monument consists of a memorial stone and plaque detailing the events and outcome of the battle. The plaque points out that:

This viewpoint overlooks the site of the Battle of Stamford Bridge, fought by King Harold of England against the invading Norse army of Hadraada.

External links

• The Battle of Stamford Bridge by Michael C. Blundell
• Drama Documentary about events surrounding the battle
• Description of battle by Geoff Boxell
• The Battle of Stamford Bridge
• Saga of Harald Hardråde
• The Battle of Stamford Bridge, BBC "In Our Time" 2 June 2011
• Old Norse description of the battle, with translation