Hastings was a long, bloody and close-run battle

Despite King Harold and much of the English army having travelled over 450miles(to and from Stamford Bridge nr York, crushing a mighty Viking invasion army there only 3wks before!) the battle of Hastings raged on all day, close-fought and swaying this way then that.

�The best infantry in Europe(Harold's elite housecarl warriors- 2/3000 fought to the death there!) together with 4-6000 mostly untrained fyrdsmen, faced the best cavalry(Norman) on a formidable hilltop position 7m from Hastings.

�William of Poitiers, Duke William's educated chaplain and a former soldier himself, described Hastings- despite his fierce anti-English propaganda- as an "unusually long" battle.

�If the English were an "inferior" army, as is sometimes laughably and erroneously said, then why did Duke William inexplicably hug the south coast for three weeks after landing on Sept 29th, despite;-

�1. Learning from Breton courtier Robert Fitzwimarc that Harold was 250m to the north with his entire army(maybe also being beaten by Hardrada/Tostig?)- leaving the roads open to London and Winchester?

2.� Having fresh, rested and well-armed troops in addition to needing to bring a battle on quickly if his invasion was to succeed?�

I suspect that the Normans feared/respected King Harold and his army more than their inconsistent propaganda suggests?�

Article added: 2007-03-07 @ 9:34 pm

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