THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLES
A - The Parker Chronicle: Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, MS. 173.
1066. In this year passed away king Edward, and earl Harold came to the throne
and ruled for forty weeks and a day. In this year came William and conquered
England; and in this year Christ Church [Canterbury] was burned, and a comet
appeared on 18 April.
C - The Abingdon Chronicle: British Museum, Cotton MS. Tiberius B i.
1066. In this year was Harold consecrated king, but was not to enjoy a tranquil
reign while he ruled the kingdom.
In this year came king Harold from York to Westminster the Easter following the
Christmas of the king’s death, Easter being on 16 April. At that time,
throughout all England, a portent such as men had never seen before was seen in
the heavens. Some declared that the star was a comet, which some call “the
long-haired star”: it first appeared on the eve of the festival of Letania maior,
that is on 24 April, and shone every night for a week. Soon thereafter came earl
Tostig from across the sea to the Isle of Wight, with as many household troops
as he could muster, and there he was given both money and provisions. He sailed
thence, and did damage everywhere along the sea coast where he could, until he
came to Sandwich. When king Harold, who was in London, learnt that his brother
Tostig had come to Sandwich, he gathered together greater naval and land levies
than any king in this country had ever gathered before, for he was credibly
informed that duke William of Normandy, kinsman of king Edward, was about to
invade to conquer this land, just as it subsequently came to pass. When Tostig
learnt that king Harold was on his way to Sandwich, he sailed away, taking with
him shipmen from the port; some went willingly, but others unwillingly. He
sailed north into [the Humber], and there harried in Lindsey, slaying many good
men there. When earl Edwin and earl Morcar perceived this, they marched thither
and drove him out from the land. Thereupon he sailed to Scotland, where the king
of the Scots took him under his protection and helped him to obtain provisions,
and he stayed the whole summer. Then came king Harold to Sandwich, and waited
there for his household troops to gather, because it took a long time for them
to be mobilized. When they had assembled, he then sailed to the Isle of Wight,
and lay there the whole summer and autumn, and the levies were stationed
everywhere along the coast, although in the end it was all to no purpose. When
the festival of the Nativity of St Mary came [8 September], the men’s provisions
had run out, and no one could keep them there any longer: they were therefore
given permission to return home. Then the king rode up and the ships were sailed
to London, but many were lost before they arrived. Then while the ships were in
port, king Harold from Norway came unexpectedly north into the Tyne with a great
pirate host – it was anything but small, for it numbered about [three hundred
ships] or more – and Earl Tostig joined him, as they had previously agreed, with
all the host he had been able to muster. They sailed together with their
combined troops along the Ouse up towards York. King Harold, to the south, was
informed when he came ashore that king Harold of Norway and earl Tostig had
landed near York. Thereupon he marched northward, day and night, as quickly as
he could assemble his levies; but before king Harold could arrive, earl Edwin
and earl Morcar had gathered as great a force as they could from their earldom,
and fought that host and made great slaughter of them; but a great number of the
English were either slain or drowned or driven in flight, and the Norwegians had
possession of the place of slaughter. This battle took place on the vigil of St
Matthew the Apostle [20 September] which was a Wednesday. After the battle king
Harold of Norway and earl Tostig entered York with as great a force as seemed to
them necessary and received hostages from the borough, besides assistance in the
way of provisions, and so retired thence to their ships. They offered to
conclude an abiding peace with the citizens provided that they all marched
southwards with them to conquer this realm. Then meanwhile came Harold, the king
of the English, with all his levies on the Sunday to Tadcaster and there drew up
his household troops in battle order; and on the Monday he marched through York,
Harold, king of Norway, and earl Tostig and their force had gone from their
ships beyond York to Stamford Bridge, for it had been expressly promised them
that hostages would be brought to meet them there from the whole of the shire.
Then Harold, king of the English, came upon them unawares beyond the bridge.
They joined battle and fierce fighting went on until late in the day; and there
Harold, king of Norway, was slain and earl Tostig and countless numbers of men
with them, both English and Norwegians. The Norwegians fled from the English,
but there was one Norwegian who stood firm against the English forces, so that
they could not cross the bridge nor clinch victory. An Englishman shot with an
arrow but to no avail, and another went under the bridge and stabbed him through
under the coat of mail. Then Harold, king of the English, crossed the bridge and
his levies went forward with him; and there made great slaughter of both
Norwegians and Flemings: and Harold let the king’s son, who was called Mundus,
return to Norway with all the ships.
D - The Worcester Chronicle: British Museum, Cotton MS. Tiberius B iv.
1066. In this year was Harold consecrated king, but was not to enjoy a tranquil
reign while he ruled the kingdom.
In this year came king Harold from York to Westminster, the Easter following the
Christmas of the king’s death, Easter being on 16 April. At that time,
throughout all England, a portent such as men had never seen before was seen in
the heavens. Some declared that the star was a comet, which some call “the
long-haired star”: it first appeared on the eve of the festival of Letania maior,
that is on 24 April, and shone every night for a week. Soon thereafter came earl
Tostig to this country from across the sea to the Isle of Wight, with as many
household troops as he could muster, and there he was given both money and
provisions. King Harold, his brother, gathered together greater naval and land
hosts than any king had ever done in this country, because he was informed that
William the Bastard was about to invade this land to conquer it, just as it
subsequently came to pass. Meanwhile earl Tostig came into the Humber with sixty
ships, and earl Edwin came with his land levies and drove him out, and the
shipmen deserted him. He sailed to Scotland with twelve small vessels, where he
was met by King Harold from Norway with three hundred ships, to whom Tostig gave
allegiance and became his man. Together they sailed into the Humber until they
came to York, where earl Edwin and earl Morcar, his brother, fought against
them, but the Norwegians had the victory. Then king Harold was informed how the
fight had gone – it took place on the vigil of St Matthew’s day [20 September].
Then Harold our king came unexpectedly upon the Norwegians, and met them beyond
York at Stamford Bridge with a great host of Englishmen, and that day a very
stubborn battle was fought by both sides. There were slain Harold the Fairhaired
and earl Tostig, and the remaining Norwegians were put to flight, while the
English fiercely assailed their rear until some of them reached their ships:
some were drowned, others burnt to death, and thus perished in various ways so
that there were few survivors, and the English has possession of the place of
slaughter. The king then gave quarter to Olaf, the son of the king of the
Norwegians, to their bishop, to the jarl of Orkney, and to all those who were
left aboard the ships. They then went inland to our king, and swore oaths that
they would ever maintain peace and friendship with this land; and the king let
them sail home with twenty-four ships. These two pitched battles were fought
within five days.
E - The Laud (Peterborough) Chronicle: Bodleian MS. Laud 636.
1066. In this year [1065] the abbey church at Westminster was consecrated on
Holy Innocents’ day [28 December], and king Edward passed away on the vigil of,
and was buried on, Epiphany [6 January] in the newly consecrated abbey church of
Westminster. Earl Harold succeeded to the kingdom of England as the king granted
it to him and as he was elected thereto. He was consecrated king on Epiphany. In
the same year in which he became king, he sailed out against William with a
naval force. Meanwhile earl Tostig came into the Humber with sixty ships, and
earl Edwin came with land levies and drove him out, and the shipmen deserted
him. He sailed to Scotland with twelve small vessels, where he was met by
Harold, the Norwegian king, with three hundred ships, to whom Tostig gave
allegiance. Together they sailed into the Humber until they came to York, where
earl Morcar and earl Edwin fought against them, and the Norwegian king gained
the victory. When king Harold was informed what had happened and come to pass,
he came with a great host of Englishmen, and met him at Stamford Bridge, and
slew him and earl Tostig and courageously defeated all that host.
Source: Garmonsway, G.N.: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Everyman, 1994.