Battle of Fulford
| Battle of Fulford | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Viking invasions of England | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| English rebels | Kingdom of England | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Harald Hardrada Tostig Godwinson |
Morcar of Northumbria Edwin of Mercia |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| 10,000 (estimate) | 5,000 (estimate) | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 900 (estimate) | 750 (estimate) | ||||||||
The Battle of Fulford was fought on the outskirts of the village of Fulford near York in England, on 20 September 1066, when King Harald III of Norway, also known as Harald Hardrada ("harðráði" in Old Norse, meaning "hard ruler"), and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar.
Tostig was Harold Godwinson's banished brother. He had allied with King Harald of Norway and possibly Duke William of Normandy but there is no record of the reasoning behind his invasions. The battle was a decisive victory for the Viking army. The earls of York could have hidden behind the walls of their city but instead they met the Viking army across a river. All day the English desperately tried to break the Viking shield wall but to no avail.
Tostig was opposed by Earl Morcar who had displaced him as Earl of Northumbria.
The Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor died on 5 January 1066 without an heir. The only surviving member of the royal family was Edgar, the young son of Edward Ætheling. On the day of King Edward's funeral, 6 January, Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, rushed to London, where he was crowned king in the Abbey of Saint Peter of Westminster, or Westminster Abbey by Aldred, Archbishop of York. Harold Godwinson was elected as King by the Witenagemot, who had gathered in Westminster to celebrate the feast of Epiphany. However, two powerful earls, brothers Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria, challenged his authority. Sources indicate that Harold moved north to confront them; however, in the end he secured their loyalty by marrying their sister, Edith, the widow of Griffith of Wales. By securing the loyalty of Edwin and Morcar, Godwinson increased his strength in the north. These men were, in fact, the first barrier between Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada.
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