Stamford Bridge 1066: The Axeman on the Bridge and Hardrada's Fall

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When Edward the Confessor died childless in January 1066, the Witenagemot chose Harold Godwinson as king. Harold spent the summer guarding the south coast against William of Normandy, leaving the north exposed to his exiled brother Tostig, the ousted Earl of Northumbria, who allied with King Harald Hardrada of Norway. Their fleet of 200 to 300 ships landed 7,000 to 9,000 men, beat the northern earls Edwin and Morcar at Fulford on September 20, and took the surrender of York. Harold answered by riding his housecarls and thegns 185 miles from London to Yorkshire in about four days along the old Roman roads, using fresh horses and leaving his supply wagons behind.

On September 25 the Norwegians were waiting near Stamford Bridge for hostages and tribute, many having left their mail at the ships in the warm weather. A lone English rider offered Tostig his earldom back and promised Hardrada only enough English ground to bury him; Tostig then revealed the rider was Harold himself. After the bridge fell, Hardrada died with an arrow in the windpipe and Tostig was killed. Three days later, on September 28, the wind shifted and William landed at Pevensey, and on October 14 Harold met him at Hastings.

• A single Norwegian with a Dane axe held the narrow bridge over the Derwent and reportedly killed more than 40 Englishmen.
• An English soldier floated under the bridge in a small boat or barrel and speared the axeman up through the planks.
• Eystein Orre's reinforcements ran 16 miles from Riccall in mail, and some collapsed from heat and exhaustion during the counterattack known as Orre's Storm.
• Survivors, including Hardrada's son Olaf, swore never to attack England again and needed only 24 ships to sail home.
• Orderic Vitalis noted that the battlefield was still marked by piles of bleached bones some 50 years later.