Information about Battle Of Stamford Bridge

Battle of Stamford Bridge
Part of the Viking invasion of England
Painting by Norwegian artist Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831–1892).
Date Monday, September 25 1066 Location Stamford Bridge, East Yorkshire Result Decisive Anglo-Saxon Victory
Combatants
Norwegians, Northumbrian rebels, Scots	Anglo-Saxon England
Commanders
Harald Hardråde(Harald Hadrada)? Tostig Godwinson?	Harold Godwinson
Strength
Around 7,500	Around 7,000
Casualties
Unknown, around 7,000	Unknown, around 2,000

The Battle of Stamford Bridge in England took place on September 25 1066, shortly after an invading Norwegian army under King Harald Hardrada defeated the army of the northern earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria at Gate Fulford two miles south of York. After a lengthy forced march up to Stamford Bridge that took place in just four days, King Harold Godwinson of England caught Harald's force by surprise, which meant that the soldiers were unarmoured. After a stubborn battle the majority of the unarmoured Norwegians were killed, along with Harald Hardråde and Earl Tostig, Harold's brother.

Historical accounts

In September 1066, Viking invaders under King Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, and Tostig (the expelled Earl of Northumberland) burned Scarborough. Harald Hardråde was pursuing dynastic claims with an army of Norwegians, Norwegians vassals, and allies, with the intent of conquest of England, rather than raiding. King Harold Godwinson and his brother Gyrth set out with their Huscarls and royal Thegns for Yorkshire to repel the Viking invasion. After Harold learned that Northumbrians were told to bring additional supplies and hostages to the Vikings at Stamford Bridge, Harold took his army to Stamford Bridge, where he hoped to surprise the Vikings. When Harold's forces came over the ridge, the Vikings were unarmored, since they were only expecting a hand over of supplies and hostages.

In his saga of Harald III of Norway which was written around 1225, Snorri Sturluson described the disposition of the Norwegian troops. Sturluson also claimed that the Norwegians had left their byrnies at the ships and thus had to fight with only shield, spear and helmets (Snorri, From the Sagas of the Norse Kings, Dreyer Forlag, 1984). The sagas, however, are historical fiction which Snorri admits in his Prologue, "although we do not know the truth of these, we know, however, of occasions when wise old men have reckoned such things as true" (Snorri, p11).

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (SA 1066), Stamford Bridge was held by an enormous Norwegian berserker, armed with an axe, and wearing no armor until the English army killed him with a spear. This delay gave Harald Hardråde time to form his army in a circle on high ground and let the English approach uphill with their backs to the river. After a stubborn battle with losses on both sides, although particularly bad for the unarmoured Norwegians, Harald Hardråde and Earl Tostig, Harold's brother, both fell.

The arrival of Norwegian reinforcements prolonged the battle, but in the end the Norwegian army was decisively defeated. King Harold Godwinson accepted a truce with the surviving Norwegians, including Hardråde's son Olaf and they were allowed to leave after giving pledges not to attack England again. King Harold's success was not to last, however. Little more than a fortnight after the battle, on October 14, after having marched his army all the way from Yorkshire, he was defeated and killed by Norman forces under William the Conqueror, at the Battle of Hastings. This began the Norman Conquest of England.

Monument

In the village of Stamford Bridge a monument to the battle has been erected. The monument's inscription reads:

"1066
The Battle of Stamford Bridge
King Harold of England defeated his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada of Norway here on 25 September 1066"

Notes

External links

• 360° picture of the memorial at Stamford Bridge
• Description of battle by Geoff Boxell
• The Norwegian Invasion of England
• Saga of Harald Hardråde

Viking, also called Norseman or Northman, refers to a member of the Scandinavian seafaring traders, warriors and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the 8th to the 11th century^[1]
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Motto
Dieu et mon droit   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen".
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Peter Nicolai Arbo (june 18 1831 – october 14 1892) was a Norwegian painter, who specialized in painting historical motifs and images from Norse mythology.

His most famous paintings are Åsgårdsreien (1872) and Valkyrien (1865).
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
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18th century - 19th century - 20th century
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1889 1890 1891 - 1892 - 1893 1894 1895

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Subjects:     Archaeology - Architecture -
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September 25 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

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11st century - 12nd century
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Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire ()

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East Yorkshire could be

• East Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency) (created 1997)
• East Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–1885)
• East Yorkshire (district), a former district

It is also a popular error for the

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Motto

Royal: Alt for Norge ("Everything for Norway")
1814 Eidsvoll oath: Enige og tro til Dovre faller
("United and faithful until the mountains of Dovre crumble")

Anthem
Ja, vi elsker

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Northumbria (sometimes spelled Northhumbria) is primarily the name of both a medieval petty kingdom of Angles in what is now north east England and southern Scotland and of the earldom which succeeded it when England became a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom.
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Scottish people (Scottish Gaelic: Albannach) are a nation^[6] and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. As an ethnic group, Scots are a composition of groups such as Picts, Gaels, Brythons, Angles, and Norse.
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Anglo-Saxon is the collective term usually used to describe the ethnically and linguistically related peoples living in the south and east of the island of Great Britain (modern Great Britain/United Kingdom) from around the early 5th century AD to the Norman conquest of 1066.
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Motto
Dieu et mon droit   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen".
..... Click the link for more information.

Harald III Sigurdsson (1015 – September 25, 1066), later surnamed Harald Hardråde (Old Norse: Haraldr harğráği, roughly translated as "stern council" or "hard ruler") was the king of Norway from 1047^[1] until 1066.
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Tostig Godwinson (1026? – September 25, 1066) was an Anglo-Saxon earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold II of England, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England.
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Harold II of England (Harold Godwinson); c. 1022 – October 14, 1066) was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England.^[1] He ruled from January 5 to October 14 1066 when he was killed at the Battle of Hastings.
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Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire ()

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Motto
Dieu et mon droit   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen".
..... Click the link for more information.

September 25 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

..... Click the link for more information.

11st century - 12nd century
1030s  1040s  1050s  - 1060s -  1070s  1080s  1090s
1063 1064 1065 - 1066 - 1067 1068 1069

Lists of leaders
State leaders - Sovereign states
Birth and death categories
-

..... Click the link for more information.

Motto

Royal: Alt for Norge ("Everything for Norway")
1814 Eidsvoll oath: Enige og tro til Dovre faller
("United and faithful until the mountains of Dovre crumble")

Anthem
Ja, vi elsker

..... Click the link for more information.

Harald III Sigurdsson (1015 – September 25, 1066), later surnamed Harald Hardråde (Old Norse: Haraldr harğráği, roughly translated as "stern council" or "hard ruler") was the king of Norway from 1047^[1] until 1066.
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Edwin (died 1071) was the elder brother of Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, son of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia and grandson of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, Hereward's probable father¹. He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on Ælfgar's death in 1062.
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Morcar (or Morkere) (d. 1071) was the son of Ælfgar, earl of Mercia, brother of Edwin, earl of Mercia. He was himself the earl of Northumbria from 1065 to 1066, when he was replaced by William the Conqueror with Robert Comine.
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Battle of Fulford
Part of Viking Conquest of England

Date 20 September 1066
Location Fulford, York, England

Result Norwegian Victory
Territorial
changes Norwegian gain Fulford and later York
Combatants
Norwegians Anglo-Saxon English
Commanders
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City of York
The Guildhall, York

Arms of City of York Council
York shown within England
Coordinates:
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Constituent country England
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Harold II of England (Harold Godwinson); c. 1022 – October 14, 1066) was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England.^[1] He ruled from January 5 to October 14 1066 when he was killed at the Battle of Hastings.
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Motto
Dieu et mon droit   (French)
"God and my right"
Anthem
No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is "God Save the Queen".
..... Click the link for more information.

Tostig Godwinson (1026? – September 25, 1066) was an Anglo-Saxon earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold II of England, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England.
..... Click the link for more information.