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1066 - French horsepower broke England

Peter Nicolai Arbo England 5th January 1066 , The English king Edward the confessor and then earl Harold Godwinson was proclaimed king at Westminster Abbey the day after the 6th. Edward the confessor  had promised both Harold and William "Bastard" of Normandy the seat of the throne before he died. Both men were distant relatives to the childless Edward the confessor. When William heard of it he quickly raised an army. Harald Hardrada also claimed the English throne and he was faster than William the bastard and on 8th September,1066  240-300 Viking ships landed on the beaches of Scarborough and began an attempt to gain the English throne. 20th September,1066  Battle of Fulford : Harald Hardrada defeated the English earls Edwin and Walther. 2 days later Harald Hardrada attacked and conquered York. 24th September,1066 Harold Godwinson arrived after marching from London. 25th September,1066 Battle of Stamford bridge Battle of Stamford bridge Harald...
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859 - Vikings attacked Spain & burned the mosques of Sevilla and Algeciras

Claus Deleuran: Bjorn Ironside and Hastein


Spain
A 3 year long viking raid began. Hastein and Bjorn Ironside led 62 dragon ships south to explore the Mediterranean area. They were first driven off from the west coast of Spain by the local Asturians and later suffered a minor defeat against Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba at Niebla.
Claus Deleuran: Vikings looting
But then a long series of successful raids happened first: Lisbon, Portugal and then they went through the Straits of Gibraltar sacking Algeciras and burnt down the great mosque in the town and plundered the surrounding countryside. Algeciras became the fleet’s base, and ships sailed over to Morocco, hunting for thralls. Their target was the Princedom of Nakur, a town several kilometres from the coast, near today’s Al-Mazimma. The Vikings terrorised the inhabitants for several days and took Prince Said ibn Idris and numerous women and children prisoner, to be released later in return for ransom money.  In Spain they hit Sevilla where the mosques were burned. Malaga, Cartagena, Barcelona and the Balearic islands was  also raided. Hastein and Bjorn Ironside made a winter camp at Camargue island and raided French towns and monasteries up and down the Rhone valley.
Chronicle of Alfonso 3 mentions "Danish pirates made a long sea journey, sailed between Spain and the up the Rhone river. They plundered som civitetes and monasteries"
Ireland
Cerball mac Dunlainge, The King of Osraige was in an alliance with the viking leaders Imar(Ivar) and Amlaib Conung(Olaf) they raided king Máel Sechnaill's territory the kingdom of Meath, but soon afterwards Cerball began to negotiate peace with Máel Sechnaill.
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Location: Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain

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