What happened after Harold Hadrada sailed the sea?

Answer 1

Before getting into what happened after we need to mention an event that happened just as Harald Hardrada landed in England because it is important to what happened later.

King Harold 2nd of England had established his army on the Isle of Wight in the English channel since William of Normandy, who claimed the English throne, was getting ready to invade England.

( Here after Harold 2nd of England will be referred to as Harold 2 or H2. Harald Hadrada, King of Norway will be Harald H or HH) William postponed his invasion for 7 months. With provisions running low Harold 2 disbanded his army and returned to London on September 8, 1066.

September 8, 1066 is also the day Harald H, also a claimant to the throne, landed in England. HH had stopped along the way at the Orkneys, Shetlands and Scotland to gather allies and troops, he landed near the River Tees in north-east England with at last 15,000 men. Tostig, H2's brother but an ally of HH, had been raiding along the English channel and in south-east England. H2 had raised a small force in response to raids but they spent most of there time and energy rushing from raid to raid and arriving too late. Tostig then sailed to meet HH on Sept 8.

HH burned Scarborough, other towns surrendered, his men made raids on other places in the area untill Sept 20, when some of H2's allis met HH at the Battle of Fulford, with HH the victor.

Meanwhile H2, back in the south, had been gathering and raising another army, after a grueling 4 day forced march H2 and his army reached the area Sept 25 and the tired English forces defeated and killed HH.

Now THE thing that happened after HH sailed the seas, happens. Back down south William of Normandy lands in England, Sept28. H2 has to march his army, tired by the forced march and battle back south again, some 240 miles. This gives William time to rest, prepare and situate his 7000 man army on chosen ground. H2's exhausted army of about the same size arrives, prepares some hasty earthworks on poor ground. October 14 William wins the 10 hour Battle of Hastings in which H2 is killed about a half hour before the end. It was a close battle and many believe HH was only that half hour away from victory when his death turned the tides of battle.

Other stuff happend after Harold Hardrada sailed the seas, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, man landd on the moon, the internet was created, Reese put chocolate around peanut butter, but little of that had anything to do with Harald the Stern, Harold Godwinson, or William the Conquerer. Trying to keep track of HarOld and HarAld is why I just call um good ol' H2 and HH.