Indiana Jones Last Crusade, grail knight played by the late great Robert Eddison. King Harald's epic march from one enormous battle to then racing down to face the Normans and nearly best them, is the stuff of Greek tragedy.
It's always been fascinating to me that a king would actually lead his armies. It must have been quite inspiring to fight along side your king. Leadership by example is a powerful tool.
Imagine if the same thing happened today or in more recent times, ie. the leaders of government led their armies. I don't think there would be as many wars 😜
@@thehistorysquad I'd gladly volunteer Trudeau (My leader) to go fight in war hahaha. Reminds me of that wonderful quote. "Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die."
King Harold was such a great general, fighting off a Viking army with a decisive victory then force marching from York to Hastings in such a small amount of time. I believe if Harald and Tostig never invaded Harold would have defeated William, but fate is set.
Harold would've won the battle of Hastings if the soldiers on his left flank didn't break formation and decided to chase after the fleeing enemy which opened up a way for William to counterattack with his heavy cavalry right into the back of the English formation, the English had the upper hand and was winning the battle right up until that moment. Then chaos followed and Harold was struck down leading to even more chaos.
Harold had not long defeated the Vikings up north and had a long hike back to Hastings only to meet the Normans. That bloke and his army must have been exhausted. Advantage Normans. Thanks for that mate. Well presented and your narrating style makes for easy listening.
My birthday is 14th October so I have always been fascinated with King Harold and the Battle of Hastings. I am now a History student at uni and your videos are always great!
On of the great things I heard about Harold is just how tough he was. He went north, fought Tostig, marched back south and fought an all day battle at Hastings. And nearly won. If the Saxons had held out for an hour maybe more then the battle would have stopped due to nightfall and by the following morning the Saxons would have been reinforced and William would have lost. But Harold fell, the Saxons collapsed and the Normans took over
It's kind of amazing that our current Monarch could be considered a legitimate heir to Harold Godwinson; who himself was (in my opinion) the rightful King! I'm also loving the commitment to that Saxon-style moustache :D I wonder if you'd one day do a video about the Battle of Hastings in detail? We'd love to see it!
Thanks for making this video about my hero, King Harold ,Kevin. I love visiting the site of the Battle of Hastings . It seems to have something that makes you feel exhilarated and many people have mentioned this. You are a FINE storyteller and thank you for bringing history to life. I bet many people now love history as much as I do thanks to you !
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, I am very happy I have found you again, I had been unsubscribed,and was getting no notifications from your chanal. Now that's been fixed, I loved the video, as usual I love the little details that make ALL the difference in history. Glad to know you were all good, and still uploading the good stuff. Best regards, Arthur
An excellent video from Kevin Hicks. Harold also had two other brothers Leofwine & Gyrth (both were killed at Hastings). At Stamford Bridge it is told Harold met his brother Tostig, & offered him Northumbria after the shoddy ill conceived battle at Fulford earlier led by Morcar--Tostig asked about Harald Hardrada, Harold replied 6 feet of English earth, so after that parley battle commenced. Tostig was identified by markings on his shoulders, his body was taken back to York & buried near the old Minster there. Nothing is mentioned about Hardrada's corpse but it may have been taken back by the surviving Norwegians. At York Harold heard about The Normans landing at Pevensey & Hastings, both located on Harold's lands. Harold headed back south to London, dismissing most of his Northern soldiers, although his Housecarls followed him south, Harold then called a levy on his southern soldiers to all meet at the "Old Hoar Apple Tree, Senlac. This indicated Harold knew his lands intimately as Senlac (today known as Battle) was on the old Hastings to London road via Canterbury, but at Senlac it was an ideal strategic bottleneck, if Harold could get there quickly he could easily keep The Normans nicely bottled up, Harold knew he wouldn't surprise the rampaging Normans but he could hold the ridgeway at Senlac long enough for more & more men to arrive and add to his army as by then the harvest would have been gathered by then leaving plenty of men to come over & join Harold. His two surviving brothers-Leofwine & Gyrth wisely suggested to Harold to stay in London to marshal more arriving men & the brothers could move down to Senlac to contain The Normans, but Harold insisted on going to Senlac immediately. The essence of Hastings is Harold's men were spotted early by Norman scouts but Duke William knew Harold was on his way so that canceled out the "Surprise" theory, but it is known if The Saxons held on to the ridge at Senlac it is highly likely The Normans would have fallen back to Pevensey or Hastings, Harold's reinforcements could have then divided dealing with the Normans at Pevensey & Hastings easily--obviously that didn't happen but the Norman casualties were heavy, Duke William's reinforcements only arrived at Hastings & Dover after the battle. The battle of Hastings was a very close run thing, lasting a whole day, no Norman gains made until late afternoon when they had a toehold upon Senlac ridge. Was Harold killed by an arrow in the eye? Its possible, it would have incapacitated him yes, but it is certainly likely he was hacked down by a small coterie of Norman horsemen breaking through the crumbling shield wall, a "Death Squad" if you will, allegedly lead by Eustace Of Boulogne (who's claim to the throne was certainly stronger than Harold or Duke William!). As Kevin observed Harold's body was identified by markings apparently by Edith swan neck, his mother asked Duke William for Harold's remains exchanged for a similar weight in gold. Later Harold was buried at Waltham Abbey. Historical evidence of the Battle Of Hastings is hazy, fragmented & mostly speculative washed over with godly morals, at that time "records" were not developed enough to be used as factual, The Carmen of Hastings, The Anglo Saxon Chronicle are contemporary, but most of what we know was written much later decades or centuries later like the story of Harald Hardrada by Snorrigsson written decades after 1066. I have two enjoyable recommendations following Kevin Hick's book recommendation: 1066 The Year Of The Conquest by David Howarth. and The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris, both informative, non biased or judgemental, speculative yes, but enjoyable reads giving us a taste of how life was in 1066. 🙂
Thanks for this comment! I’d read Howarth’s book and thought it was one of the best narrative histories ever. He does mention that after King Harold and his various brothers were killed (including his treacherous and disturbed brother Tostig), England was left with a leadership vacuum as the remaining earls were very young indeed, enabling William to consolidate his power even though the English rebelled again and again.
Yessss!!! The Templar knight who guarded the Grail in Indiana Jones And the Last Crusade! & You look just like him!!! Great video sir. When do YOU get knighted? I like the sound - Sir Kevin Hicks.
I believe that line is from Indian Jones The Last Crusade; the knight guarding the Holy Grail😊 Great Video Kevin!! Always looking forward to see whats next😅
I had the honor to portray a huscarl at the 950th Anniversary reenactment at Hastings in 2016. Truly an amazing experience getting to fight under the banner of the Fighting Man banner. Having marched, formed up the wall, and been bluffed charged by the Norman reenactors on horseback on Senlac Hill during the event I have incredible respect for what those men went through on October 14, 1066. Obviously we were just playing around, but this is the beauty of reenactment. It allows you to take the briefest of glimpses through the eyes of people long past. And that makes you a more appreciative and wellrounded person in your day to day life. The horrors of hand to hand combat must have required an incredible leader to motivate men to fight as hard as the huscarls and fyrd did for Harold Godwinson. Says a lot about how his men felt about him.
Great additional info regarding that time in history. I read all the Saxon chronicles books and just love that time period. You wouldnt find a King today mounting his horse and going to battle as they did then. Terrific reporting! Thank you again!
This video came at the right time! I'm writing an essay primarily about Harold and his father Godwin and his sister Edith, so that's a pleasant coincidence!
Yes! Of all the medieval subjects and battles, the Norman Conquest is my favorite. I’m fascinated with the Battle of Hastings. The gear, equipment and weaponry and what was at stake is captivating. I’m hoping one day excavations are done and more is found.
What I recently found out is that Phillipa of Hainault, the Queen of King Edward III, is also a descendant of Harold Godwinson through his daughter Gytha of Wessex. So with that marriage the bloodline of Harold Godwinson returned to the throne of England. Quite poetic.
Always so interesting. I especially like hearing about Harold because I read a book yrs ago about him and his relationship with the queen, Edward’s mother. That was such a wild time in England.
This is awesome. Battle of Hastings was my favourite subject in History. Always wondered about the whereabouts of Harolds body - finding the kings skull would be enough to confirm whether or not he was indeed shot through the eye. William the conqueror got his comeuppance regardless… let’s just say his burial was a messy one 😂.
Way back in 1988 or 89 i joined a DA reenactment group and during a discussion this subject came up and one learned bloke put forth that someone had done a study of the bayeux tapestry. Apparently the tapestry had been repaired, probably more than once, and where it showed Harold holding an arrow through his eye it was actually an arrow going past and Harold calling out he was ok. Or something like that, its been awhile. How true his claims are i have no idea. I tried googling it once and found nothing substantial.
Yes, interestingly I've examined that very part of the tapestry as best I could and sure enough it has been altered and repaired, so it is more than possible 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad an incident happened a few years ago that has made me question everything I’ve learned, read, heard since. I was on a defence base during a bomb scare. We found several large steel pipes with wires running through them wrapped in an industrial foil type stuff, like industrial ducting insulation material. It was while we were at war with Iraq and they were left at the entrance to the base. They looked like large pipe bombs. Turned out to be an innocent stupid mistake but we had to assume the worst. The base was shut down, the street was cleared and bomb disposal was called in. On my way home that night i heard the news report mention that a foil lined cardboard box sent the army base into lockdown and had our brave soldiers running in fear, hahahaha. Its been more than a decade and i still hear people talking about the cardboard box that scared the army. I don’t know why their report was so distorted, whether it was a joke, misinformation, or a deliberate attack on the army but if we can’t get accurate news reports today with all our technology, how can we trust information from a thousand years ago? There has obviously been many cases like this but this the one that sticks out the most in my mind, and reinforces the that witnesses are unreliable and most people have an agenda they like to push.
Very nice to see some Hasting's information. And with the mixture of the stories on Godwinson's death I wonder if they ever really found his body at all.
A nice summary. I tend to like the source materials stated, and I'm also a stickler for details such as Harald Hardrada bringing a Norwegian army, not necessarily a viking army. Although, he was considered the last king of the viking age. I'm sure you're aware of all that and have told the story to be more entertaining than I would have done. Enjoyable all the same. Also, the reference at the beginning was from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The legend of Harold's reply when Hadrada asked him what he would receive if he betrayed Tostig to him "six feet of dirt or as much as he needs as he is taller than most men"
Tragic end for Godwinson as he kept his country safe from Norse Viking attacks. But he couldn't stop the invasion of Normans who were descended from Vikings themselves.
It is indeed a good Friday when I see a video uploaded by Kevin Hicks. I had to watch this one a few times to gather all the great knowledge you dropped on us with this one.
As they used to say in Tiswas, this is what we want! I thoroughly enjoy these presentations by you Kevin. Somehow my subscription had been cancelled, but I've rectified that now.
Enjoyed the video. 1066 was a real turning point in history and it all so easily could have been so different. Is there a statue of Harold? If not there should be.
The site of the Battle of Porlock is located in Porlock (My village) in Somerset. The battle was fought in 1052 as a result of a raid by Saxon earls against Somerset and Devon. Earl Harold Godwinson, who later became King Harold who was defeated at the Battle of Hastings, was in exile along with his family in 1051. Harold and his brother Leofwine returned to England from Ireland to raid its coasts. They landed at Porlock where the battle took place where Harold won. All the local men were slaughtered, it was remembered locally as a Viking raid. He and his brother then sailed around Land’s End to attack the south coast.
Harold's raid into Wales is the stuff of legend. So sorry what happened to him, he didn't deserve to die like that. May king Harold rest in peace. 🙏🏾⚔️😔🕊
It's a bit too late to be sorry 1000 years later, there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then. You wouldn't have been speaking the same English if he had won at Hastings.
@@colinp2238 well actually proabbly more a case of if empress matilda didn’t have a son henry ii then we proabbly still be speaking norman french or a version of it instead of the current version of english.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades......love the mustache. You should keep it. Love your videos, always informative, interesting and with some humor. Not ever BORING like some on history. Thank you for uploading.
good king harold. ouistreham. it takes boats. i read someplace that a small fleet was in england, built by arthur if i remember correctly to cut off vikings when they could, so if that were possible that's a brilliant idea kevin. superior war i.q. great tache, harold would be proud. thank yew
The key to defending an island nation is a good navy. Alfred the Great knew this, and acted accordingly (among other military reforms.) Apparently it had been forgotten by the time of Harold, and had to be rediscovered centuries later. Incidentally, I just found your channel, and really like what I saw.
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade was a favorite of mine as a child, nice one. I wonder sometimes what the world would be like if Harold had won the Battle of Hastings and English court remained Anglo-Saxon? We still feel the effects of it today even in small ways, like how in English we have a Saxon word for the animal walking around in the field (cow) and being husbanded by Saxon peasants and a French word (beef, bœuf) when it’s on a nobleman’s table. But what about you Kevin? How do you think things might have been different?
Sir once again you have come too scratch and delivered a mighty blow. I found the narrative on point, and description of the dynastic struggles spot on. And would like to take the opportunity to thank you profusely. For I have a rather large grin after viewing your presentation . Kudos and I await your future presentations.
Kevin, you old viking! Given what I know about Harold's knowledge at the time, I don't think I'd have risked the limited Saxon fleet against the Normans', especially with the unfavorable conditions in the Channel. I'm not sure I'd have played it much differently than Harold did, except maybe hold up in London for another week or two to rally more men and give the huscarls a chance to recover from the double forced march and battle. Scorch the earth between William and the city, force them to scatter for forage, and pick off smaller groups to weaken his army. Then hit him with overwhelming force, instead of on a relatively even numerical footing. Maybe it'd work, maybe not.
If memory serves me right I saw a programme about the bayeux tapestry and the arrow was a later edition, as a closer inspection the needle marks show it would have been a spear
Great video and what makes it a bit more personal is I live in a place in the UK called haroldwood recorded back in 1237 named after King harold godwinson
Apparently the arrow in the eye on the Bayeux Tapestry is a alteration added later. I believe after the battle king Harolds body couldn't be found so they didn't include his death on the tapestry. But later they decided to add an arrow in his eye to show that he did die at the Battle of Hastings.
I'm actually heading back next week, not to perform but to shoot a couple of vids and see some family. If I have time I'll try to organise a meet-up and see who's free to come and have a beer & chat history with me. 👍🏻
The mustache is a keeper! Great video! Being shot in the eye instantly reminds me of history's most accurate bowman, the Mongol Horde, who I believe were rhe first to use bows on horse back? Correct me if I'm wrong haha
Hi Kevin, great video. David Howarth''s book '1066 The Year of the Conquest' mentioned that Harold''s mental state may also have been effected by the fact the Pope backed William and excommunicated him.
The truth of the matter is that I am not fluent in the English language because my language is Arabic, whether my words are correct or not, but in all honesty, your narration of the story in a funny and accurate way makes the clip very beautiful. Keep it up, friend. Your new follower is from Saudi Arabia
I gotta say Kevin. I'm really digging the moustache.
😂
Thicc
Yeah, it looks really good. He has the chin for it.
@@einheri Yeah seriously, he really pulls it off!
looks mean, I want a sip of the holy grail off you, sir!!
Indiana Jones Last Crusade, grail knight played by the late great Robert Eddison.
King Harald's epic march from one enormous battle to then racing down to face the Normans and nearly best them, is the stuff of Greek tragedy.
"1066" and it's sequel "1215" are both good reading. Thanks Kevin!
It's always been fascinating to me that a king would actually lead his armies. It must have been quite inspiring to fight along side your king. Leadership by example is a powerful tool.
Imagine if the same thing happened today or in more recent times, ie. the leaders of government led their armies. I don't think there would be as many wars 😜
@@thehistorysquad I'd gladly volunteer Trudeau (My leader) to go fight in war hahaha. Reminds me of that wonderful quote. "Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die."
@@Enruler yes, strap him onto the front of a tank so he can't run away.
"If you kill your enemies they win" right Justin?
King Harold was such a great general, fighting off a Viking army with a decisive victory then force marching from York to Hastings in such a small amount of time. I believe if Harald and Tostig never invaded Harold would have defeated William, but fate is set.
Harold would've won the battle of Hastings if the soldiers on his left flank didn't break formation and decided to chase after the fleeing enemy which opened up a way for William to counterattack with his heavy cavalry right into the back of the English formation, the English had the upper hand and was winning the battle right up until that moment. Then chaos followed and Harold was struck down leading to even more chaos.
Loving the moustache Kevin it really suits you! Makes you look like a proper grizzled man at arms. Thanks for your videos 🏴 🏴
Thanks for trying to help folks, especially Americans, track who's king for the day. Outstanding job.
May GOD bless
Hell of a mustache you got there
Love the Indiana Jones reference too. Well done
Laughed boisterously at "But thats just me and I'm a little bit like that.'
We visited Hastings and the battle site more than 25 years ago and it was incredibly interesting. Love your channel!
This man is a treasure... such rich story telling and good history... and seems like a real good guy too
Cheers Magnus 👍🏻
Harold had not long defeated the Vikings up north and had a long hike back to Hastings only to meet the Normans. That bloke and his army must have been exhausted. Advantage Normans. Thanks for that mate. Well presented and your narrating style makes for easy listening.
My birthday is 14th October so I have always been fascinated with King Harold and the Battle of Hastings. I am now a History student at uni and your videos are always great!
That's kind of you thanks 👍🏻
Every day is a school day with the History Squad.. didn't know he was the Earl of Hereford.
Indeed it is Richard, especially for me 👍🏻
Great video. Those were heroic times, with Hardrada, William, and Harold all in the thick of the battles. Would make a great movie.
It would indeed
On of the great things I heard about Harold is just how tough he was. He went north, fought Tostig, marched back south and fought an all day battle at Hastings. And nearly won. If the Saxons had held out for an hour maybe more then the battle would have stopped due to nightfall and by the following morning the Saxons would have been reinforced and William would have lost. But Harold fell, the Saxons collapsed and the Normans took over
Indeed that was illuminating. Did not know of Harold's line continuing.
It's kind of amazing that our current Monarch could be considered a legitimate heir to Harold Godwinson; who himself was (in my opinion) the rightful King!
I'm also loving the commitment to that Saxon-style moustache :D I wonder if you'd one day do a video about the Battle of Hastings in detail? We'd love to see it!
It's certainly on the cards 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad Amazing!
Kevin, enjoy watching your history talks about England.
Cheers Malc 👍🏻
Thanks for making this video about my hero, King Harold ,Kevin. I love visiting the site of the Battle of Hastings . It seems to have something that makes you feel exhilarated and many people have mentioned this. You are a FINE storyteller and thank you for bringing history to life. I bet many people now love history as much as I do thanks to you !
That's so kind of you, thanks. I know what you mean about Battle, it's a lovely town and great to look out over the battle site.
Thanks
Hey Tom, thanks so much for the SUPER. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
What a great view you give Kevin,from ground level.
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, I am very happy I have found you again, I had been unsubscribed,and was getting no notifications from your chanal. Now that's been fixed, I loved the video, as usual I love the little details that make ALL the difference in history. Glad to know you were all good, and still uploading the good stuff. Best regards, Arthur
Excellent, thanks Arthur. I'm glad you're well and can enjoy the channel once again.
An excellent video from Kevin Hicks. Harold also had two other brothers Leofwine & Gyrth (both were killed at Hastings). At Stamford Bridge it is told Harold met his brother Tostig, & offered him Northumbria after the shoddy ill conceived battle at Fulford earlier led by Morcar--Tostig asked about Harald Hardrada, Harold replied 6 feet of English earth, so after that parley battle commenced. Tostig was identified by markings on his shoulders, his body was taken back to York & buried near the old Minster there. Nothing is mentioned about Hardrada's corpse but it may have been taken back by the surviving Norwegians. At York Harold heard about The Normans landing at Pevensey & Hastings, both located on Harold's lands. Harold headed back south to London, dismissing most of his Northern soldiers, although his Housecarls followed him south, Harold then called a levy on his southern soldiers to all meet at the "Old Hoar Apple Tree, Senlac. This indicated Harold knew his lands intimately as Senlac (today known as Battle) was on the old Hastings to London road via Canterbury, but at Senlac it was an ideal strategic bottleneck, if Harold could get there quickly he could easily keep The Normans nicely bottled up, Harold knew he wouldn't surprise the rampaging Normans but he could hold the ridgeway at Senlac long enough for more & more men to arrive and add to his army as by then the harvest would have been gathered by then leaving plenty of men to come over & join Harold. His two surviving brothers-Leofwine & Gyrth wisely suggested to Harold to stay in London to marshal more arriving men & the brothers could move down to Senlac to contain The Normans, but Harold insisted on going to Senlac immediately. The essence of Hastings is Harold's men were spotted early by Norman scouts but Duke William knew Harold was on his way so that canceled out the "Surprise" theory, but it is known if The Saxons held on to the ridge at Senlac it is highly likely The Normans would have fallen back to Pevensey or Hastings, Harold's reinforcements could have then divided dealing with the Normans at Pevensey & Hastings easily--obviously that didn't happen but the Norman casualties were heavy, Duke William's reinforcements only arrived at Hastings & Dover after the battle. The battle of Hastings was a very close run thing, lasting a whole day, no Norman gains made until late afternoon when they had a toehold upon Senlac ridge. Was Harold killed by an arrow in the eye? Its possible, it would have incapacitated him yes, but it is certainly likely he was hacked down by a small coterie of Norman horsemen breaking through the crumbling shield wall, a "Death Squad" if you will, allegedly lead by Eustace Of Boulogne (who's claim to the throne was certainly stronger than Harold or Duke William!). As Kevin observed Harold's body was identified by markings apparently by Edith swan neck, his mother asked Duke William for Harold's remains exchanged for a similar weight in gold. Later Harold was buried at Waltham Abbey. Historical evidence of the Battle Of Hastings is hazy, fragmented & mostly speculative washed over with godly morals, at that time "records" were not developed enough to be used as factual, The Carmen of Hastings, The Anglo Saxon Chronicle are contemporary, but most of what we know was written much later decades or centuries later like the story of Harald Hardrada by Snorrigsson written decades after 1066. I have two enjoyable recommendations following Kevin Hick's book recommendation: 1066 The Year Of The Conquest by David Howarth. and The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris, both informative, non biased or judgemental, speculative yes, but enjoyable reads giving us a taste of how life was in 1066. 🙂
Thanks for adding such detail 👍🏻
Thanks for this comment! I’d read Howarth’s book and thought it was one of the best narrative histories ever. He does mention that after King Harold and his various brothers were killed (including his treacherous and disturbed brother Tostig), England was left with a leadership vacuum as the remaining earls were very young indeed, enabling William to consolidate his power even though the English rebelled again and again.
love the content from nyc!
Hi Michael, thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and very much appreciate the SUPER 👍
Yessss!!! The Templar knight who guarded the Grail in Indiana Jones And the Last Crusade! & You look just like him!!! Great video sir. When do YOU get knighted? I like the sound - Sir Kevin Hicks.
😜
I believe that line is from Indian Jones The Last Crusade; the knight guarding the Holy Grail😊 Great Video Kevin!! Always looking forward to see whats next😅
Yes indeed you're right - a classic line! Cheers Derek 👍🏻
I had the honor to portray a huscarl at the 950th Anniversary reenactment at Hastings in 2016. Truly an amazing experience getting to fight under the banner of the Fighting Man banner. Having marched, formed up the wall, and been bluffed charged by the Norman reenactors on horseback on Senlac Hill during the event I have incredible respect for what those men went through on October 14, 1066. Obviously we were just playing around, but this is the beauty of reenactment. It allows you to take the briefest of glimpses through the eyes of people long past. And that makes you a more appreciative and wellrounded person in your day to day life. The horrors of hand to hand combat must have required an incredible leader to motivate men to fight as hard as the huscarls and fyrd did for Harold Godwinson. Says a lot about how his men felt about him.
Great additional info regarding that time in history. I read all the Saxon chronicles books and just love that time period. You wouldnt find a King today mounting his horse and going to battle as they did then.
Terrific reporting! Thank you again!
You're absolutely right, could you imagine the politicians doing that?
This video came at the right time! I'm writing an essay primarily about Harold and his father Godwin and his sister Edith, so that's a pleasant coincidence!
He's looking like Hulk Hogan. I wish he would have said "You got it Brother!" Keep up the good work Kevin we appreciate it!!
Yes! Of all the medieval subjects and battles, the Norman Conquest is my favorite. I’m fascinated with the Battle of Hastings. The gear, equipment and weaponry and what was at stake is captivating. I’m hoping one day excavations are done and more is found.
Thank you for prounouncing Kiev like a normal person Kevin
Indiana Jones and the last crusade. Great job as always sir.
What I recently found out is that Phillipa of Hainault, the Queen of King Edward III, is also a descendant of Harold Godwinson through his daughter Gytha of Wessex. So with that marriage the bloodline of Harold Godwinson returned to the throne of England. Quite poetic.
I watched your video. I chose "wisely." Thanks for another great history vid.!
😂
Has always a great history lesson! Thanks Kevin!
Always so interesting. I especially like hearing about Harold because I read a book yrs ago about him and his relationship with the queen, Edward’s mother. That was such a wild time in England.
Given your own archery demonstrations I do believe an arrow would go into the eye, as helmets do tend to guide arrows inward when struck with arrows.
Always a good day when i get a notification that you have uploaded a video. Love the content, keep up the amazing work.
Thanks, will do!
Thank you again for these videos. Just love your bits of detail you always bring out. Brilliant
My pleasure Michael, I'm glad you're still enjoying them.
This is awesome. Battle of Hastings was my favourite subject in History. Always wondered about the whereabouts of Harolds body - finding the kings skull would be enough to confirm whether or not he was indeed shot through the eye. William the conqueror got his comeuppance regardless… let’s just say his burial was a messy one 😂.
Way back in 1988 or 89 i joined a DA reenactment group and during a discussion this subject came up and one learned bloke put forth that someone had done a study of the bayeux tapestry. Apparently the tapestry had been repaired, probably more than once, and where it showed Harold holding an arrow through his eye it was actually an arrow going past and Harold calling out he was ok. Or something like that, its been awhile.
How true his claims are i have no idea. I tried googling it once and found nothing substantial.
Yes, interestingly I've examined that very part of the tapestry as best I could and sure enough it has been altered and repaired, so it is more than possible 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad an incident happened a few years ago that has made me question everything I’ve learned, read, heard since. I was on a defence base during a bomb scare. We found several large steel pipes with wires running through them wrapped in an industrial foil type stuff, like industrial ducting insulation material.
It was while we were at war with Iraq and they were left at the entrance to the base. They looked like large pipe bombs. Turned out to be an innocent stupid mistake but we had to assume the worst. The base was shut down, the street was cleared and bomb disposal was called in.
On my way home that night i heard the news report mention that a foil lined cardboard box sent the army base into lockdown and had our brave soldiers running in fear, hahahaha. Its been more than a decade and i still hear people talking about the cardboard box that scared the army.
I don’t know why their report was so distorted, whether it was a joke, misinformation, or a deliberate attack on the army but if we can’t get accurate news reports today with all our technology, how can we trust information from a thousand years ago?
There has obviously been many cases like this but this the one that sticks out the most in my mind, and reinforces the that witnesses are unreliable and most people have an agenda they like to push.
i love the historical authenticity of the facial hair. and the he choice poorly had me rolling. keep up the great work! cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it 😃
Very nice to see some Hasting's information. And with the mixture of the stories on Godwinson's death I wonder if they ever really found his body at all.
A nice summary. I tend to like the source materials stated, and I'm also a stickler for details such as Harald Hardrada bringing a Norwegian army, not necessarily a viking army. Although, he was considered the last king of the viking age. I'm sure you're aware of all that and have told the story to be more entertaining than I would have done. Enjoyable all the same.
Also, the reference at the beginning was from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Cheers Harold!
Harald Sigurdsson by name.
The legend of Harold's reply when Hadrada asked him what he would receive if he betrayed Tostig to him "six feet of dirt or as much as he needs as he is taller than most men"
From one Kevin to another , great channel!
Cheers Kevin 👍🏻
I wasn’t aware of all these details. Thank you so much, Kevin
My pleasure.
Ugh these videos are so good.... love love them.
Thanks!!
Tragic end for Godwinson as he kept his country safe from Norse Viking attacks. But he couldn't stop the invasion of Normans who were descended from Vikings themselves.
Just found your channel and I find a video about my favorite king definitely subbed
Excellent, welcome to the channel 👍🏻
That orange and black shield looks amazing. Don’t see a lot of orange in medieval media.
It is indeed a good Friday when I see a video uploaded by Kevin Hicks. I had to watch this one a few times to gather all the great knowledge you dropped on us with this one.
Great to hear that, thanks 👍🏻
My little brother loved the "he chose poorly line" and quoted it constantly. Great reference
Lovely 😂
As they used to say in Tiswas, this is what we want! I thoroughly enjoy these presentations by you Kevin. Somehow my subscription had been cancelled, but I've rectified that now.
Thanks Colin, I appreciate that.
YT does some bizarre things and sometimes doesn't send out notifications even if you've dinged the bell.
Another great retelling of history! Such style…keep em coming :)
Hi Kevin. Can you do a video about Rochester castle and the magna Carter?👍
Possibly yes, its on the list
Fantastic great story of historic significance
This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you for the awesome content as always Kevin!
Enjoyed the video. 1066 was a real turning point in history and it all so easily could have been so different. Is there a statue of Harold? If not there should be.
Officially the end of the Viking Age.....
You remind me of my history teacher. Love it!
The site of the Battle of Porlock is located in Porlock (My village) in Somerset. The battle was fought in 1052 as a result of a raid by Saxon earls against Somerset and Devon.
Earl Harold Godwinson, who later became King Harold who was defeated at the Battle of Hastings, was in exile along with his family in 1051. Harold and his brother Leofwine returned to England from Ireland to raid its coasts. They landed at Porlock where the battle took place where Harold won. All the local men were slaughtered, it was remembered locally as a Viking raid. He and his brother then sailed around Land’s End to attack the south coast.
Thanks for the comment James 👍
I really like your history videos.
Great video again Kevin. I wondered if you may be interested in covering the 1424 Battle of Verneuil? Some really good archery action in that one!
Yes absolutely, it's on the cards 😃
Thank you for sharing
I always enjoy your videos !!!
I appreciate that! Thanks 👍🏻
Harold's raid into Wales is the stuff of legend. So sorry what happened to him, he didn't deserve to die like that. May king Harold rest in peace. 🙏🏾⚔️😔🕊
He's not, on the legend he's guarding England from invasion as allegedly written on his tombstone.
It's a bit too late to be sorry 1000 years later, there's been a lot of water under the bridge since then. You wouldn't have been speaking the same English if he had won at Hastings.
@@colinp2238 well actually proabbly more a case of if empress matilda didn’t have a son henry ii then we proabbly still be speaking norman french or a version of it instead of the current version of english.
plus we wouldn’t have had the platagenets or the tudors and stuarts or the hanoverians or the current mob,
@@colinp2238language similar to English regional dialects would been the official English language.
Excellent.... Thanks Kevin . Great .
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusades......love the mustache. You should keep it. Love your videos, always informative, interesting and with some humor. Not ever BORING like some on history. Thank you for uploading.
That was just it, you couldn't. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
1000th Like 😁😁
Keep up the great work!! ☮❤
Wow, thanks. Will do!
good king harold. ouistreham. it takes boats. i read someplace that a small fleet was in england, built by arthur if i remember correctly to cut off vikings when they could, so if that were possible that's a brilliant idea kevin. superior war i.q.
great tache, harold would be proud. thank yew
Cheers Gary, hope you’re doing well
The key to defending an island nation is a good navy. Alfred the Great knew this, and acted accordingly (among other military reforms.) Apparently it had been forgotten by the time of Harold, and had to be rediscovered centuries later. Incidentally, I just found your channel, and really like what I saw.
Thanks Gordon, welcome!
Awesome video!!
Thanks for watching Dwayne! 👍
Wow , Kevin you are a military genius. Godwinson should have sailed and burned Williams invasion fleet. Brilliant!
😜
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade was a favorite of mine as a child, nice one. I wonder sometimes what the world would be like if Harold had won the Battle of Hastings and English court remained Anglo-Saxon? We still feel the effects of it today even in small ways, like how in English we have a Saxon word for the animal walking around in the field (cow) and being husbanded by Saxon peasants and a French word (beef, bœuf) when it’s on a nobleman’s table. But what about you Kevin? How do you think things might have been different?
The English language became a beautiful and very expressive language because of the Battle of Hastings.
A discussion for a future PATREON livestream perhaps, but I think we may have had a fairer country.
Hope you and family are doing well. Thanks for the video.
Yes, we're all good thank you. 👍🏻
Sir once again you have come too scratch and delivered a mighty blow. I found the narrative on point, and description of the dynastic struggles spot on. And would like to take the opportunity to thank you profusely. For I have a rather large grin after viewing your presentation . Kudos and I await your future presentations.
Thank you kindly Fred, more to come 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad 🧐🤔👊👍
Excellent video!
Bad ass stache teach 💯🔥
Great storytelling, Kevin! I had no clue that the current british rulers were related to Harold Godwinson! Thanks!
Your channel really is quite excellent
Thanks Jake, I appreciate that 👍🏻
Love your videoes. 😊
Kevin, you old viking!
Given what I know about Harold's knowledge at the time, I don't think I'd have risked the limited Saxon fleet against the Normans', especially with the unfavorable conditions in the Channel.
I'm not sure I'd have played it much differently than Harold did, except maybe hold up in London for another week or two to rally more men and give the huscarls a chance to recover from the double forced march and battle. Scorch the earth between William and the city, force them to scatter for forage, and pick off smaller groups to weaken his army. Then hit him with overwhelming force, instead of on a relatively even numerical footing.
Maybe it'd work, maybe not.
Fair comment, thanks 👍🏻
Another great video, thank you
Cheers!
RIP that true king of England! Great video 👍
If memory serves me right I saw a programme about the bayeux tapestry and the arrow was a later edition, as a closer inspection the needle marks show it would have been a spear
Yes, I've seen this too 👍🏻
Great video and what makes it a bit more personal is I live in a place in the UK called haroldwood recorded back in 1237 named after King harold godwinson
That was excellent sir.
Apparently the arrow in the eye on the Bayeux Tapestry is a alteration added later. I believe after the battle king Harolds body couldn't be found so they didn't include his death on the tapestry. But later they decided to add an arrow in his eye to show that he did die at the Battle of Hastings.
Yes, the latest thought on that is that it may even have been a lance rather than an arrow. The Bayeux Tapestry really is quite something. 👍🏻
I know hystory, but I see that you can never know it all. Fascinating subject, excellent work, you chose wisely! Thank you!
🤣 love it!
Actually I think the Patreon's chose wisely.....thanks Luc
do you ever get back to blighty mate? Saw you a couple of times at Warwick castle....superb!
I'm actually heading back next week, not to perform but to shoot a couple of vids and see some family. If I have time I'll try to organise a meet-up and see who's free to come and have a beer & chat history with me. 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad Nice one. If we run into you in Warwick, I'll definitely stand you beer!
@@mkaz3997 Excellent
Sorry Kevin am distracted by the new mustache- 👀- impressive
😂
That's an amusing introduction love it 😂.
Harold said at the start of the battle. "You had better watch that chap. He will have someone's eye out"
😮
will you do a video on the Battle of Svolder?
This is great!❤😂
The mustache is a keeper! Great video!
Being shot in the eye instantly reminds me of history's most accurate bowman, the Mongol Horde, who I believe were rhe first to use bows on horse back? Correct me if I'm wrong haha
Pretty sure the Scythians used horse archery considerably earlier. =^[.]^=
not the first use, just used a different bow than what Europeans were using and favored because it was usable on horseback
The mustache at 2:51 is the wicked uncle that probably led Oliver Reed astray . . . : )
@@Raycheetah it’s even earlier than that if you count chariots, it’s something that occurred across Asia and the Levant around the same time
Hi Kevin, great video. David Howarth''s book '1066 The Year of the Conquest' mentioned that Harold''s mental state may also have been effected by the fact the Pope backed William and excommunicated him.
Indeed! I was wondering if anyone would mention that.
The truth of the matter is that I am not fluent in the English language because my language is Arabic, whether my words are correct or not, but in all honesty, your narration of the story in a funny and accurate way makes the clip very beautiful. Keep it up, friend. Your new follower is from Saudi Arabia
How lovely, I'm glad you enjoyed the video, welcome to the channel 👍