The Battle Of Stamford Bridge

Question 1

When was the battle of Stamford bridge ?

Answer 1

25 September 1066, 5 days after the battle of gate Fulford

Question 2

What did Harold Hardrada see when he arrived at Stamford bridge ? Why was this a problem ?

Answer 2

He saw the Saxon army
He didn’t expect an army so his troops where lightly armoured and many had left their armourments back at their camp

Question 3

What where the compositions of the armies looking like?

Answer 3

We don’t know numbers but it’s likely the Viking army was considerably larger
- Harold has traveled had moved too quickly to amass a large army
- many of the Northumbrian and Mercian men where dead at Fulford
- Harold had the element of surprise

Question 4

1st stage of the battle: Harold Hardrada ordering men to gaurd bridge

Answer 4

• Harold Hardrada ordered his men to form up on high ground
• small group of men left to gaurd a wooden bridge to hold of the Saxon army
• they where easily killed by Harold’s men

Question 5

2nd stage of the battle: Lone Viking

Answer 5

• after killing those men they where met by a lone Viking on the bridge
• He was extremely violent and was able to hold them off until one Saxon went under the bridge and thrust his spear up
• saxons cross over

Question 6

3rd stage of the battle: the message

Answer 6

• the Vikings form a defensive formation ( circle or trek angle)
• a message is sent to them Tostig can have Northumbria and a third of the kingdom if he surrendered and Harold H could have six feet of English land- implying he would have just enough to be buried.

Question 7

4th stage: the Norwegian defeat

Answer 7

• Norwegians open fire with archers and javelins and it quickly turns into hand to hand combat
• Hardrada is killed by an arrow to the neck
• the Vikings fight hard (they get reinforced aswell as turning down negotiations)
• their formations brake apart and they are picked off one by one

Question 8

What was the impact of Stamford Bridge ?

Answer 8

• Harold and Tostig dead
• Harold received some awful news of Williams landing in Wessex and pillaging
• Harold’s men are exhausted+ weakened but are ordered to return with him down south
• Edwin and Morcar are told to raise an army and join him down south