The battle of Hastings.

William “Duke of Normandy” was the son of Duke Robert and also a Tanners daughter. For this he was taunted, they would call him “William the Bastard”. Those who did this would get flayed alive.

Harold was defined as an affable and holy man. He was the enemy of evil doers and he was the son of Earl Godwin.

Edward and Harold himself had created an oath in 1064 to make William the king and they made this oath over the bones of a dead saint (allegedly.)

Harold was made king in January 1066. William arrived at Pevensey on the 28th of September and made himself a small fort. But there were no Saxons to be found.

*Meanwhile*

There was a battle going on at Stanford Bridge! The Vikings had landed on the bay of Yorkshire. They had landed with Harald and with Tostig (Harold’s own brother.) Harold had left London on the 20th of September and arrived on the 25th of September. Harold had arrived unannounced and surprise attacked them. There was one man who was on a bridge that would not let anyone past. They called him a giant. He would hack them down by just using a standard figure eight shape.

To get past this man they decided to put a man in a barrel with a spear then this man would thrust the spear up through the bridge and leave him brogged.

Harald’s men had all left their armour at their ships. Harald and Tostig were both killed. It took 300 ships to take the Vikings to England and only 24 to take them back after the battle.

*Finally*

Harold and his men arrived back in London from a 230 mile journey.

And the Normans had arrived in Hastings. Where they put up a small temporary fort that ...

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To get past this man they decided to put a man in a barrel with a spear then this man would thrust the spear up through the bridge and leave him brogged.

Harald’s men had all left their armour at their ships. Harald and Tostig were both killed. It took 300 ships to take the Vikings to England and only 24 to take them back after the battle.

*Finally*

Harold and his men arrived back in London from a 230 mile journey.

And the Normans had arrived in Hastings. Where they put up a small temporary fort that was already built and only had to have the walls attached. They realised that London was the key to England and that they had to get a hold of it. But they knew that they couldn’t because it was so well protected. So he had to draw Harold away from London and down to him. So he decided to burn and pillage all of the towns around him.

Harold’s brother Gyrth decided to take Harold’s army to fight William but Harold refused and said that the King was the one who was supposed to lead the army.

King–Himself

House carls-Body guards

Thanes-Knights

Fyrd-Footmen

This is the hierarchy of the army.

Harold and William both arranged to go to Caldbec hill on Friday the 13th of October. On Saturday the 14 of October 1066 the battle began. William wore the hole relics of the saints bones around his neck to show his men that god was on his side (he had even been told by the pope that god was on his side.)

The Normans were at the bottom of the hill and the Saxons were at the top of the hill with their shield wall. The main weaponry for the battle would’ve been swords, axes and bows/crossbows. The axe would’ve been swung in a large figure eight shape to kill all in range (it was even strong enough to cut through a horse and a human.)

William rode with the papal banner that he was presented to by the pope. The horse men were the “Bretons, Normans and the Flemings”.

The plan was to us the archers/crossbow men.

Then the Infantry

Then the cavalry to sweep up.

The archers had failed because they would just hit the shield wall then the infantry failed.

There was a rumour that William had been slain so his me retreated but William got up and showed everybody his face to prove that he was still alive. The Saxons had followed the retreat and then been hacked down by the now angry Normans. At 9am there was a rest to count up the dead eat etc: at 12 noon the battle recommenced.

The Normans had realised how effective their quick flee had been so they feigned a few times to bring more Saxons down from the ranks to kill.

At approximately 7pm William told his me to aim over the shield wall (also as “Harold Rex Interfectus est”.)

The king had presumably been hit in the eye with an arrow and then been hacked up in to small pieces.

The Fyrd then fled the battle field but the Thanes and the House carls stayed until their death.

After the battle somebody needed to identify Harold’s body it was Edith the person who knew him best.

William had chosen not to burry Harold’s body (pieces) on holy ground because of the holy oath that he had broken. (it is said that some men had taken his body from William and buried it at Waltham abbey in Essex.)

William was crowned on Christmas day 1066.

(What a great Christmas present!)