I'm glad the Viking series is back, but I thought Aethelstan would be talked about in the next video. You missed a lot of battles in between. For some reason, I thought this, a longside Hastings, would make up the end of the Viking series.
The ramifications of Stamford Bridge were actually huge. The victory was so comprehensive that when Harold let the survivors return home under oath that they and their heirs never return - the oath was actually kept and there was never a major viking campaign against England again. Most historians regard 1066 as the end of the viking age in Europe. In any other year, Stamford Bridge would rank alongside or even above the Battle of Britain (which ended the threat of Nazi Invasion) or Trafalgar (which ended the Napoleonic invasion threat) and Harold Goodwinson would probably be remembered as "the Great" who ended the centuries long threat of Viking invasions for all time. Instead, it's been kind of relegated to a footnote to the "main event" of 1066.
Actually the King of Denmark did send a warfleet to assist dispossessed Englishlords regain their holdings. William paid them off with stolen gold, however.
It is estimated that the loss of norways elite warriors was so impactful, that it took almost a generation ti recover. So they had no other choice than to keep their oaths.
I love that little story of the unknown viking holding off an entire army on the bridge. Mad shit like that is why I love history. When that guy died, _that's_ when the age of vikings was over. On the spot. The rest of them just didn't know it yet. Great video guys. 👍
Missed the best part of his death. They couldn't get past him, so a few spearman took a small boat under the bridge and speared him through the groin to kill him.
Well if it's true. These sorts of stories always need to be taken with a pinch of salt. At best, it's like taking a real remarkable event, like Pavlov's House, and making it into a Schwarzenegger movie.
Harold Godwinson made the 190 mile march North in an unprecedented 5 days.... he then marched the 190 miles back to London with the core of his weary army in about the same time, took a 2 day rest, and then marched them another 60+miles south to Hastings for their second battle, which he very nearly won. Pretty incredible.
There was actually plans of a triology starring Leonardo Di Caprio as Harald Hardråde some 10 years ago, but the project was scrapped. Guess the movie industry wanted to cash in on superhero-franchises instead...
The late XI th century is filled with those history defining dates. 1054, 1066, 1071, 1089, 1099 Nearly as filled to the brim as first half of XXth. I can only think of two other periods in history more decisive : -60 to -40 and 1773 to 1815
@@Cancoillotteman I can recognise the schism and the battle of Majikert, but just because I am Greek and I have delved in Byzantine history. But I don't know anything about 1089 or 1099 (crusades?), and I doubt that most people will know 1071 as well.
Video games taught me that the historical shield wall is a myth. You want your enemy to see you tbag his buddies, and they can't see that if you do it behind a wall.
I've written the screenplay. A ten hour mini-series that tells the entire tale of 1066. Sadly, neither Hollywood or the BBC has any interest in stories about white guys doing stuff. Giving it another year or three until ChatGPT makes Hollywood and the BBC obsolete and then I'm making it myself.
The theme for this week is : Jarls and Huskarls As always here are the TW: Thrones of Britannia mods that we used in this video: -Shieldwall overhaul mod -ReShade - Lux un Umbra preset. Best wishes, ڤمنه ملايو
It should be remembered that Hardrada's force contained a good many Varangians with huge military experience. Hardrada's story is honestly fascinating, an exiled prince who goes off to fight for the Emperor of Rome in Constantinople, rises to become the leader of the Varangian guard, wins many battles against arabs, bulgars, pechenegs, and more, and upon seeing his friend the Emperor assassinated; escapes from the Roman world and its cunning Empress with a good deal of those great Varangian warriors who were loyal to him, returns to Norway from his exile and takes what is rightfully his. He then goes over to England and dies. The extreme experience of both Hadrada and his warriors needs to be stressed though. The fierceness and courage of the Anglo-Saxons is honestly quite amazing, and on paper almost everyone would have fought the Anglo-Saxons would have been destroyed.
@@chrisdaniels3929 the Fyrd really were not a bunch of mugs you know. Most people in England owned weapons and chainmail, it was a warrior society and it wasn't that difficult to come by chainmail and acquire a helmet. Every Englishman (there were exceptions but I won't get bogged down in the details) had to serve in the Fyrd for 2 months every year. Whilst there they were trained by the professional Huscarls in combat and tactics and formation fighting. They were not at the same level as a Huscarl but they were more than just a peasant levy, they were quite well trained and they would often be sent to the border of Scotland or Wales where they would intercept Scottish or Welsh warbands who would raid into England, so they also got alot of fighting experience. In modern terms I guess you could say they were like the National Guard in the US or Army Reservists
I think there is something special about the Anglo-Saxons. They were never defeated by the Romans. They took over Britain, became a world empire, took over North America, spread their language all over the world, started two world wars (Anglo-Saxons), and ended two world wars (Anglo-Americans), invented football, invented the computer and the internet, went to the moon, invented the car and the airplane.
It's said that they needed a ship dedicated to carrying his massive balls. Also, killing 40 men, while standing alone, without armor? I don't care if those 40 men were fucking peasants. That would be impressive, even in a video game where endurance isn't a factor.
@@sfp2290 No, this particular guy had armor. That’s why they had to stab him from below. An English soldier got in a barrel and drifted under the bridge, stabbing his spear up under the hirdman’s hauberk.
So... Stamford Bridge: The Anglo Saxons feign a retreat. The Norwegians smell blood in the water and abandon the high ground. They are slaughtered to the last man. Hastings: The Normans feign a retreat. The Anglo Saxons smell blood in the water and abandon the high ground. They are slaughtered to the last man. I'm sensing a pattern here...
@@defenderofmen - I'm not aware Harold had any cavalry at Hastings which is odd when you consider how important they appear to have been to the victory at Stamford Bridge.
@Just Getting By Very dramatic the part with seven feet of English dirt, but part of the peace agreement between Harold and Olaf was the return of the bodies for burial. While most of the Norwegian dead were buried on site, the nobles, including the King, were returned to Norway and buried at Nidaros.
So Harold Godwinson went from ending the era of viking invasions with one of the most impressive victories in English history, only to turn and hightail it into history as losing THE pivotal battle in English history to the Normans. Maybe the craziest three weeks in Medieval history.
@@brandonlu9280The bigger irony was Harold Godwinson himself was half Viking and related to King Cnut. You could say 1066 was a 3 way battle between 3 Norsemen descendants.
I always considered Harold Godwinson to be a softie compared to the likes of vikings or William the Conqueror, but that line about letting Hardråde have 7 feet of English land was ice cold.
@@raclark2730 Yeah too many people here watch Vikings, that show had a great story but the historical accuracy was vomit inducing. I guess most popular historical shows suffer the same problem.
On the contrary, King Harold was a harder warrior than the bastard duke William. At the time of King Edward the Confessor, Harold was basically commander of all the English forces. He utterly destroyed the Welsh and Wales as a kingdom for about two hundred years. In one region of Wales, the people cut off the head of their own king and sent it to Earl (for that is what he was before a king) Harold as a form of surrender, just because they'd heard he was on his way. He was still in England when he received the one fifth of the Welsh king. I.E his head! The bastard duke ONLY won Hasting because England had been rocked by two major battles in the space of a month, depleting English soldiers. Harold was waiting on the English South coast for the bastard duke when he got the news of Hardrada s landing in the North. So he marched over two hundred miles north, fought and beat them. Then had to make the same march South in an even shorter time to meet the bastard duke. William could never perform such a manoeuvre with battles at both ends. If King Harold had waited in London for more troops to arrive or even just ignored Harald Hardrada s invasion and slaughtered the bastard duke before he even got out of his boat history would be very different. William the bastard was not a great man, he wasn't a great warrior, he just got very very lucky and was in the right place at the right time.
A softie? He'd fucking eat you for breakfast. Have some respect. Force-marched to slaughter the vikings at Stamford, force-marched back and attacked the Normans with a depleted army and very nearly defeated them nonetheless. His loyal Housecarls fought to the death over his body.
I always imagine two alter-scenarios: 1) Harold Godwinson loses at Stamford Bridge and England is divided in two, the Viking north and the Norman south. How would life and history be different? 2) What if Harold won at Hastings? How would England change. Our language, culture, history, even our first Kings would be different. Keeps me up at night...
I so wish that the Godwinson had won at Hastings. There would be no mass slaughter of civilians or the destruction of the Anglo Saxon institutions. Sure England remains more Anglo Saxon today than Norman. But England would be so much better without the new class system (which still lingers) and the brutal oppression throughout the early years of the Norman yoke. I'm Norwegian so I'm cheering Hardrada though.
But for fate (in this case, the channel winds), by rights Harold Godwinson should have won both battles. He was a fine general and everything indicated he would be a great king (including favoring justice over favoritism - the reason he fell out with Tostig in the first place - his brother was cruel, corrupt and hated by the people and Harold had his title stripped). His army was well set up, prepared and rested on the South Coast. If William had landed a month earlier as scheduled, he'd most likely have been crushed on the very beach where he was trying to disembark. As it was, Harold's army had two forced marches; up to York, a major battle, and back down again - his army losing men, material, freshness and combat effectiveness all the while - and had to choose a choke point inland (Hastings) ad hoc ... and still almost won.
@@perperson199 he means the first Noman kings... William, William II, Henry I, and Stephen. Of course, in actual fact, EVERY king would have been different, not just the first few. Every monarch following Hastings was a descendant of William. (And from Henry II onwards, a direct descendant of Alfred as well, which I find to be pretty cool).
Banter aside, 2020 is a relatively uneventful year. No major conflicts or massive regime changes worldwide, and a virus that has killed less than 0.02% of the global population, a drop in the pool when compared to cardiovascular ailments during the same year.
@@beno1129 Well first of all the death count isn't the only thing about coronavirus (it has had massive economic impact for instance) and it also hasn't even gotten to its most intense part. Secondly there has been several regime changes and upheavals, especially in parts of latin america as well as escalations in conflicts in the middle east (remember when Trump assassinated a top Iran general for instance?). If anything is indicative of how crazy a year 2020 is it's the fact that we got 2 separate stories for which the most probable explanation is alien life and nobody batted an eye. I can keep listing shit if you want. Corona and Trump has absorbed a shit ton of public discourse and thanks to that a shit ton of shit has gone unnoticed.
I first learned about these through a flash game called “1066” which was a strategy game about these two events and the Battle of Hastings. Good to see a video on it from you guys really fleshing it out.
i cant stress enough how good the music completes this awesome video, kudos to the team behind it, keep bringing us amazing history content and we will continue supporting you forever!!
True, I said the same thing earlier. They always have lovely music that reflects both the time period and geographical location that's been talked about
Small mistake in the map. In the Netherlands region, you've put Flevoland within the Ijselmeer. The problem here is that Flevoland was artificially made in 1986...
He also fought without helmet or chainmail, fighting with both hands around his sword in the front ranks. This huge defeat was incredibly unfortunate for a man who lived his entire life one of if not the greatest general of the age.
Stamford Bridge is one of those interesting "What if" historical moments. What if the vikings had deployed scouts and became aware of the army as it arrived and prepared for it? One simple thing can sometimes make the biggest difference.
The events of 1066 are so fascinating and stunning. So much happens in a short period of time, peaking around the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings. When will someone make a decent TV show about this?
The main difference, in my opinion, between both battles is that armies fielded at Hastings were vastly different in nature and compositions, whereas they were quite similar at Stamfordbridge. At Hastings, Harold's army was still a variant of anglo-norse armies, with huge infantry organised in a shield wall and axe-wielding housecarls... William's army, on the other hand, was a typical feudal army (early version) with a mix of spearmen, bowmen and most importantly, early mailed knights. As such, Hastings is one of the few instance of a battle between (early) feudal knights and a "viking"-like army. (There was also a battle between byzantine varangian guards and normans from Italy, slightly later on, where normans used for the first time the couched lances charge - witch proved devastating against isolated varangians).
@Jonny B Most likely he sensed a chance to strike at Harold’s position. With an outnumbered, unarmored force, and no idea how long it would take reinforcements to arrive, he ran a real risk of being whittled down by arrow fire and repeated charges. However, with Harold temporarily deprived of his cavalry and his forces still forming up, a boar’s snout formation might have a chance at punching through and killing Harold, ending the war then and there. This also explains why Harald’s banner was recovered very close to Harold’s position.
Crazy how successful Godwinson was in the north and then he gets nearly an identical fate as Hardrade when he fights William in the south. This is an extremely interesting time in history.
This battle was over in an hour, the battle of Hastings lasted an entire day nearly and was noted as being exceptionally brutal, even for medieval standards; most battles each side would lose a few hundred men, at the battle of Hastings thousands of men were slain. The English just wouldn't give in and literally fought to the last man standing
@@keighlancoe5933 I just meant their own personal demises were very similar. But something I wonder about - the timing with Hardrade and William both attacking in such a short time span. Were they working together or they both just knew that the other one was thinking about it and thought it was an opportune time or what?
@@theredhunter4997 Oh and I just got what you meant... It's not _that_ much of a spoiler for anyone who doesn't know. Just a tantalizing clue. I spilled a lot more in my other reply but I edited it to be more vague - just in case it _actually_ was a spoiler to anyone.
I am a Historian and wrote, as a History student then, a lengthy account of the events of 1066 including, of course, this epic battle at Stamford Bridge. Hardraada did not die right away, as it is said here, but with his last breaths told his skald, " I accept the piece of ground that was offered me" You see, the Saxon King Godwinson, before the major attack had begun, offered clemency to his brother Tostig, who was, ironically allied to the Norwegian invaders, asked, " What will you offer then to King Harald Hardradda?" Harold Godwinsson then is said to have responded, "I will give him as much English ground as he is taller than other men. " To understand this retort one must know that Hardraada stood seven feet tall! Anyway the obvious answer was "No Quarter" as regards to the Norwegian King.
"I used to be King of Norway. Then I got arrow in the throat." - King Harald Hardråde, entering Valhalla - Edit: This is what is called a joke. And repurpose of Ancient Skyrim Meme.
@@billdehappy1 He got an arrow in the eye, at least according to legend, and then a dozen or more Norman knights tried to slay him, so it's unknown who or what killed Harold Godwinson. He died in the Battle of Hastings, that's what we know.
Kings and generals have started telling stories along the battles. No matter how good the graphics is, only stories can make us completely understand history and how people of time thinks. Good job👍
@@RobitBender after a big lead and dirty fighting, the Chelsean Army fought back to create a ceasefire against the Tottenmanians. The Chelseans went on to conquer the Tottenmanians and the rest of England the next year 2016/17
More like, put on your armor even if you don't expect battle. There is even a old Norse saying: Våpni sine skal mann på vollen ikkje gange eit fet ifrå. Uvisst er å vita når pùå vegom ute det spørjast kan etter spjut. Basicly, a man should allways keep his weapons at close, unknown is the time he will be needing them.
Thanks for the great video. As awesome as always. But would like K & G to include the detail of "Orre's Storm" as 3000 desperate Viking Warriors had berserk into the thick of battle and briefly checked the advance of the Anglo-Saxon army. The last stand that is as epic as Custer's Last Stand in the battle of Little Big Horn and the Old Guard's last stand in the closing stage of the battle of Waterloo. And shout out to Tosteig, he had the honor to stand with his ally despite the promised benefits if he had switched sides.
Great job once again, you guys are one of a kind and very good at doing this videos! I have one favour to ask you! Can u tell me from where did you find all the information aboult the battle of Stamford Bridge and Hastings? Im going to make my diploma for graduation from my university, and i really need more information aboult this two battles and i will be very greatfull to you if you can share something with me! Thank, you very much!
I always feel bad about how things ended for Harold Godwinson. He fought smart and moved fast, and in the end he lost because his troops got too excited, disobeyed orders and charged healing into the Normans.
@@ClarityA1 Yeah, my biggest lament with the Norman invasion is how they ruined our language, if it wasn't for them it would not have changed, and probably be mutually intelligible today with Dutch and German. The north of England would be more populated and richer as well, the Normans genocided 100.000 English people, man woman and child in the North, and this may well be why the North of England is still poorer than the South to this day
I will stand up and listen to "summon the heroes" trumpet solo for that courageous huskarl fought on the bridge. Those kind of brave men are never to be forgotten, especially by Kings and Generals team.
Ive always wondered what would have happened had Harold lost the battle of Stamford Bridge.Would the Vikings and the Normans battled it out for the crown ?
The events 1066 is a very unique situation since there is written accounts from all three sides written by people who were there and they are reporting the same unfolding of events. This almost never happens.
I would love the conflict between Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Gaius Marius to be covered. Both were easily the progenitors of the changes that allowed Caesar to claim Rome, and the coverage of their war would be a great prequel chapter.
I've never heard about cavalry at Stamford Bridge before - do you have a source for that? There is also a legend that Eysteinn dropped dead from exhaustion the moment he arrived at the battlefield as he had just run fifteen miles in full armour. Not sure how true that one is!
@@SantomPh The Huscarls in Harold's army were not Danes, they were English. The idea of Huscarls was adopted from the Danes but they were still English.
Damn, it sucks Hardrada was caugth off guard. Im sure he would've won if all his men would have been ready and loaded armor. But what a show of bravery tho. Truly the best King Norway has ever had, strong and fiecre.
I wonder if Hardrada could've had his men at the ships, armor up then jump on horses to get to the bridge. Then the guys without armor could ride back and get their armor and return. Sounds like there would've been time to do this, however I don't know if they had enough horses to pull that off. Oh well, its water under the bridge.
Well, mistakes such as splitting up the armor and leaving the armor behind, as well as not preparing for battle, were all made based on faulty information. Information such as where the english royal army was and all that. If none of those mistakes had been made, I am sure it would have been a close battle.
How dare he attempt to invade England! The scumbag thief. Whether he had a claim or not, he was bringing war and bloodshed to a proud sovereign nation...a country that had been terrorised for nearly 300 years by evil Viking raiders and armies. He deserved everything he got a Stamford Bridge. Sweet revenge for 300 years of attacks.
Wow I never knew that the battle of fulford was fought in Yorkshire and it’s interesting to me because I have English ancestors the Ickes and Seftons the seftons were from lancashire while the Ickes lived in Yorkshire and I am related to the Ickes because my paternal grandmothers 2x great grandfather who is my 4x great grandfather named Jacob weikert married an Ickes named Sarah and I am related to the seftons because my paternal grandmothers paternal grandmother named Mary Agnes Sefton married my 2x great grandfather Harry Grant Weikert
That unknown Norse warrior on Stamford Bridge is truly one of my favorite last stand of the Viking age. Harald Hardrada may not have won the battle, but his warrior sure found a place in Valhalla. If it weren't for that Anglo-Saxon warrior who stabbed him in the groin from under the bridge, I'm sure he could have killed far more Anglo-Saxons and allowed Harald's forces to be reinforced.
@@stc3145 I mean, we can't know for sure if every Norse really converted fully to Christianity at the time. Despite the inevitable baptism of Scandinavia, many still kept some of their beliefs in secret, while some associated the cross for Thor's hammer. As long as you were a good warrior who died a noble or bloody death, you might as well ended up there, according to the Norse.
@@jakobtarrasericsson4295 At this time, the majority of Scandinavians where Christian, as is evidenced by burial practices, runestones, archeological finds and the numerous sagas and texts from the time
@@basedgodkyon Yeah, but they kept dualistic traditions for a fair while after Christianization, the more rural, the longer the old ways would have lingered.
I've been studying Germanic cultures and history for a decade now, I don't think that story is really true regarding the man holding off the bridge. Both Vikings and Saxons liked to exaggerate somewhat. There might be some truth to it, but as the story spread across meadhalls and was told time and again by drunken warriors, it probably got exaggerated and the details changed somewhat over time. If it was a 5'6" Viking who managed to kill 2 Saxons before being overcome himself, well...that's not as exciting a story as a 7'0" Viking killing 20 Saxons before being overcome himself. If there really was a man causing that much damage and being that much of a nuisance, the Saxons would have probably just peppered him with arrows or thrown their spears at him from a safe distance.
@@FuckGoogle2 Not necessarily, the Saxons and Vikings loved to boast and tell fantastical stories. And that is a perpetual myth, the Anglo-Saxons and Norse/Danes averaged the same height at 5'10", we know this because we have large amounts their skeletal remains and can measure them. The Anglo-Saxons, ethnically, were Germanic people and were directly related to the Norse/Danes. The Angles who make up the Anglo in Anglo-Saxon came from Denmark themselves originally. Harold Godwinson was over 6'0" tall himself. Alot of this was to do with both their diets, both groups of people consumed large amounts of protein and dairy which enabled them to grow very tall. After the Norman conquest, the English were banned from hunting in the woods and forests, and had to give large amounts of their harvest to the Normans, and the average height of an English person dropped 3 inches from 1066 - 1166 due to this because they ate much less than they did before the invasion. If you go to England today, you will notice they aren't exactly a short bunch of people on average
@@FuckGoogle2 Sorry, but myth making was very much part of Viking sagas, and Anglo-Saxon tales. And no, the Vikings were not huge giants as TV fiction likes to portray. They were average medieval height. Certainly not significantly taller than the English. Plenty of Viking and Anglo-Saxon era burial skeletons to back that up. Do some research before spouting tired-old cliche stories about the Vikings. There is a lot of modern shit you have to wade through in order to get to the truth. The lone Viking WAS a massive exaggeration, as Cedric says.
@ sounds doubtful I'm afraid, and you have no way of knowing that for a fact as the only bit of information we have regarding that at all is the legend itself, which details only that a large man held off the bridge and killed a large number of men before an English warrior supposedly waded underneath the bridge and stabbed him upwards through his private parts
I'd rather play, but someone should make the videos :-)
First
You should do a video about the Peloponnesian war
SOS i want to make historical videos what program should i use?
@@HomoUniverzalis i have recently read about it(donald kagan) and it was very interesting
I'm glad the Viking series is back, but I thought Aethelstan would be talked about in the next video. You missed a lot of battles in between. For some reason, I thought this, a longside Hastings, would make up the end of the Viking series.
The ramifications of Stamford Bridge were actually huge. The victory was so comprehensive that when Harold let the survivors return home under oath that they and their heirs never return - the oath was actually kept and there was never a major viking campaign against England again. Most historians regard 1066 as the end of the viking age in Europe. In any other year, Stamford Bridge would rank alongside or even above the Battle of Britain (which ended the threat of Nazi Invasion) or Trafalgar (which ended the Napoleonic invasion threat) and Harold Goodwinson would probably be remembered as "the Great" who ended the centuries long threat of Viking invasions for all time. Instead, it's been kind of relegated to a footnote to the "main event" of 1066.
Actually the King of Denmark did send a warfleet to assist dispossessed Englishlords regain their holdings. William paid them off with stolen gold, however.
It is estimated that the loss of norways elite warriors was so impactful, that it took almost a generation ti recover. So they had no other choice than to keep their oaths.
I love that little story of the unknown viking holding off an entire army on the bridge. Mad shit like that is why I love history.
When that guy died, _that's_ when the age of vikings was over. On the spot. The rest of them just didn't know it yet. Great video guys. 👍
Missed the best part of his death. They couldn't get past him, so a few spearman took a small boat under the bridge and speared him through the groin to kill him.
@@carnifex2005 but his balls of steal protected him and he then destroyed the rest of the army solo, true story
Well if it's true. These sorts of stories always need to be taken with a pinch of salt. At best, it's like taking a real remarkable event, like Pavlov's House, and making it into a Schwarzenegger movie.
that guy was guts vs 100 soldiers irl
@@bcfc2947 English chroniclers recorded this event mate. No saga about this event.
Harold Godwinson made the 190 mile march North in an unprecedented 5 days.... he then marched the 190 miles back to London with the core of his weary army in about the same time, took a 2 day rest, and then marched them another 60+miles south to Hastings for their second battle, which he very nearly won. Pretty incredible.
A veteran Viking warrior and adventurer, Haralad Hadrada deserves his own HBO mini-series.
I've been thinking this for ever!
@@slinky6481 Same here! So much potential
I’d watch the hell out of that, his service in the Varangian guard in particular
There was actually plans of a triology starring Leonardo Di Caprio as Harald Hardråde some 10 years ago, but the project was scrapped. Guess the movie industry wanted to cash in on superhero-franchises instead...
The final season of Vikings: Valhalla is supposed to be about Hardrada and William I
1066 is one of those years where when reading the number you instantly know what the discussion is about
1066, 1453, 1492, 1914, 1939 and 1444 for EU4 maniacs
A certain fanbase would also familiar with 867
The late XI th century is filled with those history defining dates. 1054, 1066, 1071, 1089, 1099
Nearly as filled to the brim as first half of XXth.
I can only think of two other periods in history more decisive : -60 to -40 and 1773 to 1815
1444 ?? Why
@@Cancoillotteman I can recognise the schism and the battle of Majikert, but just because I am Greek and I have delved in Byzantine history. But I don't know anything about 1089 or 1099 (crusades?), and I doubt that most people will know 1071 as well.
Yes, all this violence was caused by video games btw.
You beat the Persians with the help of the Gökturks
Video games taught me that the historical shield wall is a myth. You want your enemy to see you tbag his buddies, and they can't see that if you do it behind a wall.
It was that blasted Chess! encouraging conflict
Hahahaha
Yup, professional psychiatrists say this so it must be true
The year 1066 could be a damn movie trilogy for real! One movie for each of the claimants to the throne, just saying it would be amazing
There is a movie called "1066 The Battle for Middle Earth". A British movie released in 2009.
@@shamilakulatunga1073 love that movie ❤️
I've written the screenplay. A ten hour mini-series that tells the entire tale of 1066. Sadly, neither Hollywood or the BBC has any interest in stories about white guys doing stuff. Giving it another year or three until ChatGPT makes Hollywood and the BBC obsolete and then I'm making it myself.
The theme for this week is : Jarls and Huskarls
As always here are the TW: Thrones of Britannia mods that we used in this video:
-Shieldwall overhaul mod
-ReShade - Lux un Umbra preset.
Best wishes,
ڤمنه ملايو
Pemanah Melayu
@Thats reality folks Im the Camaraman that means you have them all ;)
Thanks for the awesome work!
Salam Sang Pemanah Melayu,
Amat saya harap akan ada video2 sejarah seperti K&G, Battle Baz, Epic History, dll. yg meliputi sejarah Nusantara.
Are you sure you've used Shieldwall? The units on video are from vanilla.
It should be remembered that Hardrada's force contained a good many Varangians with huge military experience. Hardrada's story is honestly fascinating, an exiled prince who goes off to fight for the Emperor of Rome in Constantinople, rises to become the leader of the Varangian guard, wins many battles against arabs, bulgars, pechenegs, and more, and upon seeing his friend the Emperor assassinated; escapes from the Roman world and its cunning Empress with a good deal of those great Varangian warriors who were loyal to him, returns to Norway from his exile and takes what is rightfully his. He then goes over to England and dies.
The extreme experience of both Hadrada and his warriors needs to be stressed though. The fierceness and courage of the Anglo-Saxons is honestly quite amazing, and on paper almost everyone would have fought the Anglo-Saxons would have been destroyed.
The first battle with the fyrd farmer army against norsemenlike those! The Northumbrians must have been very scared.
@@chrisdaniels3929 the Fyrd really were not a bunch of mugs you know.
Most people in England owned weapons and chainmail, it was a warrior society and it wasn't that difficult to come by chainmail and acquire a helmet.
Every Englishman (there were exceptions but I won't get bogged down in the details) had to serve in the Fyrd for 2 months every year. Whilst there they were trained by the professional Huscarls in combat and tactics and formation fighting. They were not at the same level as a Huscarl but they were more than just a peasant levy, they were quite well trained and they would often be sent to the border of Scotland or Wales where they would intercept Scottish or Welsh warbands who would raid into England, so they also got alot of fighting experience.
In modern terms I guess you could say they were like the National Guard in the US or Army Reservists
I think there is something special about the Anglo-Saxons. They were never defeated by the Romans. They took over Britain, became a world empire, took over North America, spread their language all over the world, started two world wars (Anglo-Saxons), and ended two world wars (Anglo-Americans), invented football, invented the computer and the internet, went to the moon, invented the car and the airplane.
cut n paste is a wonderful tool!
@@keighlancoe5933 weapons yes, spears. Chainmail? Absolutely not.
That lone norseman at Stamford bridge is an absolute mad lad...
It's said that they needed a ship dedicated to carrying his massive balls.
Also, killing 40 men, while standing alone, without armor? I don't care if those 40 men were fucking peasants. That would be impressive, even in a video game where endurance isn't a factor.
@@sebastianmujkic909 Yea I reed that the guy is MADLAD
@@sfp2290
No, this particular guy had armor. That’s why they had to stab him from below. An English soldier got in a barrel and drifted under the bridge, stabbing his spear up under the hirdman’s hauberk.
I think this is where the word 'berserk' is derived from, the madlad was a berserker!
It's the Techno Viking's Grand Dad. You ever see his video?
So...
Stamford Bridge: The Anglo Saxons feign a retreat. The Norwegians smell blood in the water and abandon the high ground. They are slaughtered to the last man.
Hastings: The Normans feign a retreat. The Anglo Saxons smell blood in the water and abandon the high ground. They are slaughtered to the last man.
I'm sensing a pattern here...
Karma
There's a theory that King Harold II commanded a (mostly) different army at Hastings from the one he commanded at Stamford Bridge ...
@@defenderofmen - I'm not aware Harold had any cavalry at Hastings which is odd when you consider how important they appear to have been to the victory at Stamford Bridge.
@@catinthehat906 I wasn't aware Harold had cavalry at Hastings either.
@Just Getting By
Very dramatic the part with seven feet of English dirt, but part of the peace agreement between Harold and Olaf was the return of the bodies for burial. While most of the Norwegian dead were buried on site, the nobles, including the King, were returned to Norway and buried at Nidaros.
This channel is legendary
true
This and Epic history TV
This chanel is copyright infringement
@@Daylon91 Both are Perfect for History Lovers!
So Harold Godwinson went from ending the era of viking invasions with one of the most impressive victories in English history, only to turn and hightail it into history as losing THE pivotal battle in English history to the Normans. Maybe the craziest three weeks in Medieval history.
Yep... he went from being a hero for the ages to a footnote in a matter of days.
To make this irony, the Normans were basically Frankish relatives of Norse Vikings
@@brandonlu9280The bigger irony was Harold Godwinson himself was half Viking and related to King Cnut. You could say 1066 was a 3 way battle between 3 Norsemen descendants.
I always considered Harold Godwinson to be a softie compared to the likes of vikings or William the Conqueror, but that line about letting Hardråde have 7 feet of English land was ice cold.
@@raclark2730 Yeah too many people here watch Vikings, that show had a great story but the historical accuracy was vomit inducing. I guess most popular historical shows suffer the same problem.
On the contrary, King Harold was a harder warrior than the bastard duke William. At the time of King Edward the Confessor, Harold was basically commander of all the English forces. He utterly destroyed the Welsh and Wales as a kingdom for about two hundred years. In one region of Wales, the people cut off the head of their own king and sent it to Earl (for that is what he was before a king) Harold as a form of surrender, just because they'd heard he was on his way. He was still in England when he received the one fifth of the Welsh king. I.E his head!
The bastard duke ONLY won Hasting because England had been rocked by two major battles in the space of a month, depleting English soldiers. Harold was waiting on the English South coast for the bastard duke when he got the news of Hardrada s landing in the North. So he marched over two hundred miles north, fought and beat them. Then had to make the same march South in an even shorter time to meet the bastard duke. William could never perform such a manoeuvre with battles at both ends. If King Harold had waited in London for more troops to arrive or even just ignored Harald Hardrada s invasion and slaughtered the bastard duke before he even got out of his boat history would be very different. William the bastard was not a great man, he wasn't a great warrior, he just got very very lucky and was in the right place at the right time.
@@mikeycraig8970 England was probably better for it.
A softie? He'd fucking eat you for breakfast. Have some respect. Force-marched to slaughter the vikings at Stamford, force-marched back and attacked the Normans with a depleted army and very nearly defeated them nonetheless. His loyal Housecarls fought to the death over his body.
@@mikeycraig8970 Well said. Harold was a hero and frankly the last true English king.
I always imagine two alter-scenarios:
1) Harold Godwinson loses at Stamford Bridge and England is divided in two, the Viking north and the Norman south. How would life and history be different?
2) What if Harold won at Hastings? How would England change. Our language, culture, history, even our first Kings would be different.
Keeps me up at night...
I so wish that the Godwinson had won at Hastings. There would be no mass slaughter of civilians or the destruction of the Anglo Saxon institutions. Sure England remains more Anglo Saxon today than Norman. But England would be so much better without the new class system (which still lingers) and the brutal oppression throughout the early years of the Norman yoke.
I'm Norwegian so I'm cheering Hardrada though.
Your first kings would not be different. Still Alfred the Great or whoever it is
But for fate (in this case, the channel winds), by rights Harold Godwinson should have won both battles. He was a fine general and everything indicated he would be a great king (including favoring justice over favoritism - the reason he fell out with Tostig in the first place - his brother was cruel, corrupt and hated by the people and Harold had his title stripped).
His army was well set up, prepared and rested on the South Coast. If William had landed a month earlier as scheduled, he'd most likely have been crushed on the very beach where he was trying to disembark. As it was, Harold's army had two forced marches; up to York, a major battle, and back down again - his army losing men, material, freshness and combat effectiveness all the while - and had to choose a choke point inland (Hastings) ad hoc ... and still almost won.
The English that we spoken today will be very different and we will have Harold the Great dynasty.
@@perperson199 he means the first Noman kings... William, William II, Henry I, and Stephen.
Of course, in actual fact, EVERY king would have been different, not just the first few. Every monarch following Hastings was a descendant of William.
(And from Henry II onwards, a direct descendant of Alfred as well, which I find to be pretty cool).
"There are decades where nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen." ...and then there's 2020.
Banter aside, 2020 is a relatively uneventful year. No major conflicts or massive regime changes worldwide, and a virus that has killed less than 0.02% of the global population, a drop in the pool when compared to cardiovascular ailments during the same year.
A year where a millenia happened.
Everyone that believes this is just trying to force themselves into history
@@beno1129 Well first of all the death count isn't the only thing about coronavirus (it has had massive economic impact for instance) and it also hasn't even gotten to its most intense part. Secondly there has been several regime changes and upheavals, especially in parts of latin america as well as escalations in conflicts in the middle east (remember when Trump assassinated a top Iran general for instance?). If anything is indicative of how crazy a year 2020 is it's the fact that we got 2 separate stories for which the most probable explanation is alien life and nobody batted an eye.
I can keep listing shit if you want. Corona and Trump has absorbed a shit ton of public discourse and thanks to that a shit ton of shit has gone unnoticed.
@@beno1129 you're really selling 2020 short by calling it uneventful.
I first learned about these through a flash game called “1066” which was a strategy game about these two events and the Battle of Hastings. Good to see a video on it from you guys really fleshing it out.
Damn I remember that game, it was my way of enjoying Total War back in the poor old days
@@ramiromen6595 It’s still a good game
i cant stress enough how good the music completes this awesome video, kudos to the team behind it, keep bringing us amazing history content and we will continue supporting you forever!!
True, I said the same thing earlier. They always have lovely music that reflects both the time period and geographical location that's been talked about
@@beno1129 couldn't have said it better mate!
The music is Gjendine’s Bånlåt, a Norwegian lullaby.
@@luxborealis Thanks for this, I really wanted to find out what the tune was called
"Alright lets do this, MORCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR JENNNNNKINNNNNNS!!!"
"Oh my God he just ran in "
"Morcar you such a dumbass"
"...at least I have chicken"
too soon...
Please I need elaboration
Small mistake in the map. In the Netherlands region, you've put Flevoland within the Ijselmeer. The problem here is that Flevoland was artificially made in 1986...
When this happened Hardrada was in his 50s and still fought like a lion.What a warrior.
He also fought without helmet or chainmail, fighting with both hands around his sword in the front ranks.
This huge defeat was incredibly unfortunate for a man who lived his entire life one of if not the greatest general of the age.
Stamford Bridge is one of those interesting "What if" historical moments. What if the vikings had deployed scouts and became aware of the army as it arrived and prepared for it? One simple thing can sometimes make the biggest difference.
I'm the descendant of Vikings, Germans, & Anglo Saxons. This history has always been dear to my heart. Thanks for a great video!
Excelente vídeo, de calidad 💪🏼
The events of 1066 are so fascinating and stunning. So much happens in a short period of time, peaking around the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings. When will someone make a decent TV show about this?
I always found Stanford to be a boring battle. Way less intriguing than Hastings. This video proved me wrong.
The main difference, in my opinion, between both battles is that armies fielded at Hastings were vastly different in nature and compositions, whereas they were quite similar at Stamfordbridge.
At Hastings, Harold's army was still a variant of anglo-norse armies, with huge infantry organised in a shield wall and axe-wielding housecarls...
William's army, on the other hand, was a typical feudal army (early version) with a mix of spearmen, bowmen and most importantly, early mailed knights.
As such, Hastings is one of the few instance of a battle between (early) feudal knights and a "viking"-like army. (There was also a battle between byzantine varangian guards and normans from Italy, slightly later on, where normans used for the first time the couched lances charge - witch proved devastating against isolated varangians).
@@elbentos7803 the losing side made the same mistake they charged down a hill breaking a shield wall then got flanked
@@elbentos7803 Interestingly enough, K&G has made a video about that battle between Eastern Roman and the Norman.
@Jonny B it’s a good defensive position in Hastings the same thing happened that means I’m correct
@Jonny B
Most likely he sensed a chance to strike at Harold’s position. With an outnumbered, unarmored force, and no idea how long it would take reinforcements to arrive, he ran a real risk of being whittled down by arrow fire and repeated charges. However, with Harold temporarily deprived of his cavalry and his forces still forming up, a boar’s snout formation might have a chance at punching through and killing Harold, ending the war then and there. This also explains why Harald’s banner was recovered very close to Harold’s position.
Too much epicness in such a short period of history that it is a crime no major movie has been made about it.
Imagine the joy The Allfather Odin felt when he saw the lone Berserker coming in his halls
Odin: here take my seat
In Norwegian it's Hardråde, the first D isn't pronounced. It would sound like Haar-Rådeh in english
oh didn't know about it ! thank you ! :)
@@Paris-xv9sj Old Norse: harðráði - where 'ð' is like the 'th' in 'the' or 'then'.
Is the 'å' pronounced like 'o' in English?
@@keighlancoe5933 no its more like deeper and drawn out O.
Hård råde = hard counsel
@@arawn1061 so like an ō as in 'Goad/Road/Boast"
Hoard-Roe-dah
One of my favorite details left out of here is how the lone berserker fell. Some men rowed a boat underneath the bridge and speared him in the nads.
Crazy how successful Godwinson was in the north and then he gets nearly an identical fate as Hardrade when he fights William in the south. This is an extremely interesting time in history.
yo no spoilers dude, smh
This battle was over in an hour, the battle of Hastings lasted an entire day nearly and was noted as being exceptionally brutal, even for medieval standards; most battles each side would lose a few hundred men, at the battle of Hastings thousands of men were slain. The English just wouldn't give in and literally fought to the last man standing
@@keighlancoe5933 I just meant their own personal demises were very similar. But something I wonder about - the timing with Hardrade and William both attacking in such a short time span. Were they working together or they both just knew that the other one was thinking about it and thought it was an opportune time or what?
@@theredhunter4997 Oh and I just got what you meant... It's not _that_ much of a spoiler for anyone who doesn't know. Just a tantalizing clue. I spilled a lot more in my other reply but I edited it to be more vague - just in case it _actually_ was a spoiler to anyone.
@@keighlancoe5933 this battle was much more bloody 8 thousand dead in an hour compared to 4 thousand dead in a day at Hastings.
guys its me the lone berserker i guarded the stamford bridge
I'd say may odin bless you but your king sold out to the christians so....
Clown
Nice job dude
This is the internet. Pics or it didnt happen!
Mad lad
More info about these housecarl Saxon warriors would be great. Best and most accurate military history channel on this app.
The timeframe from Julius Caesar invading Britain to this battle in 1066 is larger then the timeframe from this battle to now
Best History channel i ever watched
That one viking: 'Get off my bridge englishman!'
I am a Historian and wrote, as a History student then, a lengthy account of the events of 1066 including, of course, this epic battle at Stamford Bridge. Hardraada did not die right away, as it is said here, but with his last breaths told his skald, " I accept the piece of ground that was offered me" You see, the Saxon King Godwinson, before the major attack had begun, offered clemency to his brother Tostig, who was, ironically allied to the Norwegian invaders, asked, " What will you offer then to King Harald Hardradda?" Harold Godwinsson then is said to have responded, "I will give him as much English ground as he is taller than other men. " To understand this retort one must know that Hardraada stood seven feet tall! Anyway the obvious answer was "No Quarter" as regards to the Norwegian King.
Respect to Tostig for not betraying his mate. That took some serious heart
Fuck Tostig he betrayed his brother his king and his country.
Yeah he only betrayed his brother instead lmao
@@AeneasGemini Betrayal and nobility go together like sword and sheath
@@blitzen435 To be honest Harold actually kinda betrayed Tostig, I still like Harold tho, better than Normans.
@@pattyguy Harold betrayed Tostig because he was a dick and a terrible ruler.
Great information !! Live any and all battles related to ancient Britain 👍🏻👍🏻
"I used to be King of Norway. Then I got arrow in the throat."
- King Harald Hardråde, entering Valhalla -
Edit: This is what is called a joke. And repurpose of Ancient Skyrim Meme.
and few days later same but harold at the pearly gates..
Harald was Christian though
@@BoxStudioExecutive I was replying to OP, “genius”
@@basedgodkyon good call im dumb
@@billdehappy1 He got an arrow in the eye, at least according to legend, and then a dozen or more Norman knights tried to slay him, so it's unknown who or what killed Harold Godwinson. He died in the Battle of Hastings, that's what we know.
Kings and generals have started telling stories along the battles. No matter how good the graphics is, only stories can make us completely understand history and how people of time thinks.
Good job👍
Thank you for good subtitles in every video. I learn English with you
One of the best historical channels on TH-cam 👍.
KnG: *mentions Stamford Bridge*
Chelsea fans: We're in.
I'm gonna need a Kings and Generals breakdown for the Battle of the Bridge between the Chelsea and Spurs armies
i'd rather be speared through the groin than be at stamford bridge. (the stadium)
@@RobitBender
Nah Arsenal vs Chelsea >
@@RobitBender after a big lead and dirty fighting, the Chelsean Army fought back to create a ceasefire against the Tottenmanians. The Chelseans went on to conquer the Tottenmanians and the rest of England the next year 2016/17
@@samdumaquis2033 chelsea stadium is called Stamford bridge
PLEASE!!!! Do the video of Hastings! Much anticipated
Moral of the story: stay in your shield walls, guys.
And in your armor... And in your army... And on the right side of the bridge.
If only the Anglo-Saxons had recognized that lesson from their own victory
More like, put on your armor even if you don't expect battle. There is even a old Norse saying: Våpni sine skal mann på vollen ikkje gange eit fet ifrå. Uvisst er å vita når pùå vegom ute
det spørjast kan etter spjut. Basicly, a man should allways keep his weapons at close, unknown is the time he will be needing them.
The music score was superb on this video!
I was just waiting for this epic battle !
Hell yes, now we’re seeing some of the best battles in history - 1066 has arrived !
Thanks for the great video. As awesome as always. But would like K & G to include the detail of "Orre's Storm" as 3000 desperate Viking Warriors had berserk into the thick of battle and briefly checked the advance of the Anglo-Saxon army. The last stand that is as epic as Custer's Last Stand in the battle of Little Big Horn and the Old Guard's last stand in the closing stage of the battle of Waterloo.
And shout out to Tosteig, he had the honor to stand with his ally despite the promised benefits if he had switched sides.
I've been subbed to your channel for 3 years, and this is the first time I've seen my little town of Beverley included in one of your maps! XD
Great job once again, you guys are one of a kind and very good at doing this videos!
I have one favour to ask you! Can u tell me from where did you find all the information aboult the battle of Stamford Bridge and Hastings? Im going to make my diploma for graduation from my university, and i really need more information aboult this two battles and i will be very greatfull to you if you can share something with me!
Thank, you very much!
Brilliant! Keep up the good work. 👍
The end of the Viking arch in the English anime had me going 😔
great detail
I always feel bad about how things ended for Harold Godwinson. He fought smart and moved fast, and in the end he lost because his troops got too excited, disobeyed orders and charged healing into the Normans.
I've always wondered how different England would be today had Godwinson won at Hastings. He was a smart military leader
Wel, ūre spræce liceð þes hit sceal
@@keighlancoe5933 Can I get a translation for that? I can't find anything that will translate it
@@ClarityA1 it's Old English, it says:
Well, our language would (still) look like this
@@keighlancoe5933 Ahhh, nice! That’s what I love about history, how events that happened so long ago still have impacts today.
@@ClarityA1 Yeah, my biggest lament with the Norman invasion is how they ruined our language, if it wasn't for them it would not have changed, and probably be mutually intelligible today with Dutch and German.
The north of England would be more populated and richer as well, the Normans genocided 100.000 English people, man woman and child in the North, and this may well be why the North of England is still poorer than the South to this day
Great video as always 👍
What's the music at 5:56?
I will stand up and listen to "summon the heroes" trumpet solo for that courageous huskarl fought on the bridge. Those kind of brave men are never to be forgotten, especially by Kings and Generals team.
Ive always wondered what would have happened had Harold lost the battle of Stamford Bridge.Would the Vikings and the Normans battled it out for the crown ?
Man what a beatiful video, a very interesting time and really makes you realise how potent of a leader Harold II was!
It's hard to believe that this happened on my door step there as been some battlefield finds along the becks and river derwent
Great video as always ..
"Harold posed as his own herald and met with Herold"
His first remark was "Hey, you're old."
it should be Harald, not Herold
Nicely done. Thank you.
Anyone here remember that old flash game "1066"?
yeah and other ww1 flash game
Came looking for this comment as soon as I saw the video
@@ubuk-5676 Warfare 1918
Warfare 1944 was also good
Yes! I mastered that game when I was younger. Norman knight spam for days!
@@theanglo-lithuanian1768 Ah, but the boar's head charges were also godly! Especially so with the Vikings!
Epic stuff. In 1066 the arguably fearsomest individual fighters of the planet clashed.
The events 1066 is a very unique situation since there is written accounts from all three sides written by people who were there and they are reporting the same unfolding of events.
This almost never happens.
Awesome video just like every thing else you guys do
when will the ceasar documnetary come?
plz guys i really love roman history
It has come
I would love the conflict between Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Gaius Marius to be covered. Both were easily the progenitors of the changes that allowed Caesar to claim Rome, and the coverage of their war would be a great prequel chapter.
I saw roman civil war in this channel
@@ABAKASHARKA Me too brother, I am waiting...We aren't alone (:
Very cool video, can't wait for the next one!
Hardråda was a legend to the end.
He deserves a television series! I'd watch it.
@@theawesomeman9821 I've been tossing around writing a historical fiction series (similar to the Saxon Series by Bernard Cornwell).
@@teddyberserker cool
amazing content. Always impress me everytime!
I've never heard about cavalry at Stamford Bridge before - do you have a source for that?
There is also a legend that Eysteinn dropped dead from exhaustion the moment he arrived at the battlefield as he had just run fifteen miles in full armour. Not sure how true that one is!
@ Legends start with a basis in fact
Thank you for video 🙂
"smelling blood in the metaphorical water" hahahahaha come oooon!!! x'D
Great stuff. And finally there will be another episode on the Normans.
The Norwegian army when they saw the english:
Is this a friendly army?
For those who understood the meme without the picture: kudos
It didn't help that Harold employed hauskarls, pointedly Danish professionals at the head of his army
@@SantomPh The Huscarls in Harold's army were not Danes, they were English. The idea of Huscarls was adopted from the Danes but they were still English.
The video about berserkers I saw the other day made me hungry for some 1066 wow you guys lowkey read my mind sometimes
Belgian/Flemish mercenaries joined Harald Hardrada, interesting! As a Belgian i didn't know this
@Mavis Stapleton Cool, i'll look it up to get more information about this, very interesting
Yep, also plenty of Flemish at Hastings. Damn you! Every bastard wanted a piece of England.
low countries were always shady men. Just look at Elon musk
It was the Flemish who carried out the genocide in the North of England
I have been waiting for this episode
Wow this Harold II seems pretty skilled! Hope nothing unexpected happens in the coming years
Thanks for the wonderful presentation of this famous, even if less than the next one at Hastings.
Damn, it sucks Hardrada was caugth off guard. Im sure he would've won if all his men would have been ready and loaded armor. But what a show of bravery tho. Truly the best King Norway has ever had, strong and fiecre.
I wonder if Hardrada could've had his men at the ships, armor up then jump on horses to get to the bridge. Then the guys without armor could ride back and get their armor and return. Sounds like there would've been time to do this, however I don't know if they had enough horses to pull that off. Oh well, its water under the bridge.
Well, mistakes such as splitting up the armor and leaving the armor behind, as well as not preparing for battle, were all made based on faulty information.
Information such as where the english royal army was and all that.
If none of those mistakes had been made, I am sure it would have been a close battle.
How dare he attempt to invade England! The scumbag thief. Whether he had a claim or not, he was bringing war and bloodshed to a proud sovereign nation...a country that had been terrorised for nearly 300 years by evil Viking raiders and armies. He deserved everything he got a Stamford Bridge. Sweet revenge for 300 years of attacks.
Great video!
Wow I never knew that the battle of fulford was fought in Yorkshire and it’s interesting to me because I have English ancestors the Ickes and Seftons the seftons were from lancashire while the Ickes lived in Yorkshire and I am related to the Ickes because my paternal grandmothers 2x great grandfather who is my 4x great grandfather named Jacob weikert married an Ickes named Sarah and I am related to the seftons because my paternal grandmothers paternal grandmother named Mary Agnes Sefton married my 2x great grandfather Harry Grant Weikert
Harold vs Harald, it's gettin' real now. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited for Sunday!!!
Harold hadradas life sounds pretty much like the life of a king of myth imo
Yeah he even fought in mesopotamia.
@@htoodoh5770 Its true though, he was actually a badass who had seen half the world.
@@mongke7858 This guy is movie material.
Awesome video! You´ve inspired my work!
That unknown Norse warrior on Stamford Bridge is truly one of my favorite last stand of the Viking age. Harald Hardrada may not have won the battle, but his warrior sure found a place in Valhalla. If it weren't for that Anglo-Saxon warrior who stabbed him in the groin from under the bridge, I'm sure he could have killed far more Anglo-Saxons and allowed Harald's forces to be reinforced.
@@stc3145 So?
@@stc3145 I mean, we can't know for sure if every Norse really converted fully to Christianity at the time. Despite the inevitable baptism of Scandinavia, many still kept some of their beliefs in secret, while some associated the cross for Thor's hammer.
As long as you were a good warrior who died a noble or bloody death, you might as well ended up there, according to the Norse.
@@jakobtarrasericsson4295 At this time, the majority of Scandinavians where Christian, as is evidenced by burial practices, runestones, archeological finds and the numerous sagas and texts from the time
@@basedgodkyon Yeah, but they kept dualistic traditions for a fair while after Christianization, the more rural, the longer the old ways would have lingered.
@@ragzaugustus True. Especially in the case of rural Sweden and Norway
Great work keep it up and plzzz making videos
Jesus, nearly 200 miles in 5 days. Harold ate his weetabix that week
I feel like this video has been a long time coming. Love me some English History. Thanks for all the hard work
I've been studying Germanic cultures and history for a decade now, I don't think that story is really true regarding the man holding off the bridge. Both Vikings and Saxons liked to exaggerate somewhat. There might be some truth to it, but as the story spread across meadhalls and was told time and again by drunken warriors, it probably got exaggerated and the details changed somewhat over time.
If it was a 5'6" Viking who managed to kill 2 Saxons before being overcome himself, well...that's not as exciting a story as a 7'0" Viking killing 20 Saxons before being overcome himself. If there really was a man causing that much damage and being that much of a nuisance, the Saxons would have probably just peppered him with arrows or thrown their spears at him from a safe distance.
@@FuckGoogle2 Not necessarily, the Saxons and Vikings loved to boast and tell fantastical stories.
And that is a perpetual myth, the Anglo-Saxons and Norse/Danes averaged the same height at 5'10", we know this because we have large amounts their skeletal remains and can measure them. The Anglo-Saxons, ethnically, were Germanic people and were directly related to the Norse/Danes. The Angles who make up the Anglo in Anglo-Saxon came from Denmark themselves originally. Harold Godwinson was over 6'0" tall himself. Alot of this was to do with both their diets, both groups of people consumed large amounts of protein and dairy which enabled them to grow very tall.
After the Norman conquest, the English were banned from hunting in the woods and forests, and had to give large amounts of their harvest to the Normans, and the average height of an English person dropped 3 inches from 1066 - 1166 due to this because they ate much less than they did before the invasion.
If you go to England today, you will notice they aren't exactly a short bunch of people on average
@@FuckGoogle2 Sorry, but myth making was very much part of Viking sagas, and Anglo-Saxon tales. And no, the Vikings were not huge giants as TV fiction likes to portray. They were average medieval height. Certainly not significantly taller than the English. Plenty of Viking and Anglo-Saxon era burial skeletons to back that up. Do some research before spouting tired-old cliche stories about the Vikings. There is a lot of modern shit you have to wade through in order to get to the truth. The lone Viking WAS a massive exaggeration, as Cedric says.
@ sounds doubtful I'm afraid, and you have no way of knowing that for a fact as the only bit of information we have regarding that at all is the legend itself, which details only that a large man held off the bridge and killed a large number of men before an English warrior supposedly waded underneath the bridge and stabbed him upwards through his private parts
Thank you , K&G .
When will the battle of hastings will come??
Edit: can't wait
Next Sunday.
13:50 that reply is up there with the Spartan's "then we shall fight in the shade"
Who would win:
Thousands of Saxon soldiers
One viking boi
That story reeks of bullsh*t, though. I'd be damned if it ain't a fib.
more like :
Who would win :
40 Saxon Soldiers
VS
One skilled Norwegian boi with a Dane Axe
Saxons
@@somedesertdude1308 yes, scandinavian IS the correct word.
The Viking Age was ended after this battle, so...the Saxons lol