Viking history

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...

Conan 2 vs William the bastard in the Breton-Norman war England An unexpected ally came to Harald Godwinson. King Harold’s brother Tostig had been deprived of his earldom in Northumbria by Edward in October 1065 France William of Normandy sent word to Brittany, warning them against attacking his lands, because he was backed by the pope. Conan 2 of Brittany said to William that he would take the opportunity to invade, William's army set out for battle. Rivallon 1 of Dol, lord of Coumborg joined William, Outside the monastery of Mont Saint-Michel, two Norman soldiers became mired in quicksand, but Harold Godwinson, saved their lives. William the conqueror`s army chased Conan from Dol-de-Bretagne to Rennes and the Britons finally surrendered at Château de Dinan . William ordered the construction of ships Ireland: Ragnvald Gudrødsson’s son, Echmaracach (‘Horseman’),ruled Dublin+ the Isle of Man, without formally being declared king until  his death in 1065....

Denmark The Danish-Norwegian war was finally over, at Goeta river the 2 kings promised to keep the peace as long as they lived. Twelve good men secured the border between Denmark and Sweden, with 5 stones, the 6 Danish men were: Tolli,Totti and Toki from Jutland, Gymkil from Sjaelland & Dan from Skaane & Grimtun from Halland. King Harold was warned by Halleys comet England Harold Godwinson shipwrecked at Ponthieu, Normandy and was taken captive by Guy I, Count of Ponthieu, who took him to his home castle of Beaurain. Harold Godwinson swore an oath to William the conqueror Normandy Duke of Normandy, William demanded the release of the Harold Godwinson, and Count Guy delivered Harold Godwinson after being paid a ransom for him. Harold was not released from Normandy until he too had sworn on the Holy Relics to be Duke William's vassal, and to aid him to the throne of England, this was displayed on the Bayeux Tapestry . William had secured the border with An...

Sicily The traders from Pisa made a successful naval assault upon the Saracen controlled Palermo it was under command of Giovanni Orlandi to help of Roger of Hauteville in his conquest. In June at the Battle of Cerami, around 5 miles to the west of the Norman stronghold at Triona Sicily: Roger and Serio 2 of Hauteville lead a group of 136 knights and 150 infantry Normans to defeat a much larger army of Zirid Muslims, according to a legend he won by a vision of Saint George. The Zirids abandoned the siege of Cerami, Roger led an early cavalry charge which failed to break the Zirids, whom then counterattacked  however the Norman infantry stood their ground. St. George was said to have appeared clad in shining white armor and bearing the flag of St. George upon his lance. His speech allotted the Normans to attack again and again. Normans won a decisive victory.

Denmark Sweyn 2 Estridson and Harald Hardrada clashed in a naval battle near Nisaa, outside the coast of Halland. After a tough battle where the famous Earl Skjalm hvide was captured by a group of men who held him with their shields, one of Skjalm Hvides Ensigns named Aslak cleared a whole ship with an oak stick Aslak cleared a whole ship with an oak stick- Saxo made a poem The Danes retreated and Sweyn only survived because of a noble Norwegian chieftains help. Skjalm Hvide managed to swim away later. Sweyn 2 fleeing battle of Nisaa Leaving in the dark Skjalm Hvide swims away   England   Winter – Harold Godwinson lead a successful campaign against King Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. He attacked and captured Rhuddlan Castle in northern Wales, but Gruffydd manages to escape.  

Italy In January Robert de Grantmesnil, his nephew Berengar, half-sister Judith (the upcoming bride of Roger I of Sicily), and l1 monks of Saint-Evroul-sur-Ouche was banished from Normandy and traveled  to the Mezzogiorno. The Normans assembled and army and in May 1061 they captured Messina from the Saracens. Later they captured Triona, which they used as a future headquarter. Messina was ruled by Robert Guiscard and Roger I of Sicily.

Denmark Christian rune church inscription at Fyn Ørsted Church "Samson kills Lion" The large ship Ormen (The Serpent) built for Harald Hardrada as a busseskip (a big, broad ship) with a gilded dragon’s head at the bow stem and a hook-shaped stern stem. Harald Hardrada began to plunder Denmark  again. Denmark split into 8 clerical units: Vendsyssel with Thy, Odense ,Viborg, Roskilde, Ribe, Aarhus, Lund and Dalby. Dalby was soon cancelled and put under Lund. Sweyn II Estridsson received  a papal letter in which he was obliged to pay peters money to the Vatican church and Anno Domini became the official time stamping which were used in official documents. The catholic church gained influence, their influence changed vigilante affirmative action and collective punishment, it became possible to pay a fine if you had done a murder. If a man became judged lawless only the king could lift the ban, this increased the monopoly of violence to the state(King). Nor...

Early Norman Castle Italy The Concordat of Melfi was signed on 23 August 1059 between Pope Nicholas II and the Normans Robert Guiscard & Richard of Capua. The Pope recognized the Norman conquest of Southern Italy and he recognized Robert Guiscard as Duke of Apulia and Calabria, and as the Count of Sicily. Wales Macht, son of Harold, came to Wales with an army and Prince Gruffudd and Macht allied forces, proceeded against the Saxons, and devastated the country of England a great way towards its centre; and they returned to Wales with loot.

Banner with the Wessex dragon England Earl Aelfgar of Mercia was again banned from Mercia, and again he hired Scandinavian forces and asked King Gruffudd to successfully assisted him in regaining his lost earldom. Normandy Siege of thitmert-Gatelles 1058-60 Italy June Richard Norman adventurer captured conquered Capua, a small Lombard principality.He Became Count of Aversa and prince of Capua.

Norman horseman against two foot soldiers Normandy Henry the king of France ordered the dukedom of Normandy to be invaded. He and Geoffrey Martel of Anjou joined forces in Angers. Their army marched towards Caen . To reach Caen , they had to cross the Dives marshlands, which was flooded. So, while they made their way to the only possible route between Varaville and Périers, William was already waiting to ambush in the Bavent woods , with troops and peasants from the surrounding area. Normans blocked a passageway and made the French only available passage was via the wooden bridge over the River Dives, which collapsed under the weight of them horses and carts all plummeted into the waters. They began to cross the river but when the tide came in, the process had only been half completed, leaving the army split in two parts. William the conqueror seized the opportunity and attacked the half of the invading army that had not yet crossed and won the battle. It happened...

England Earl Aelfgar of Mercia, after being exiled from England, came to King Gruffydd ap Llywellyn of Gwynedd with 18 longships full of Viking mercenaries. Gruffydd married the earl Aelfgar`s daughter, and assembled a Welsh army to supplement Aelfgar's army. Together the armies invaded Herefordshire and on 24th October defeated Earl Ralph the timid (aka Ralf of Mantes), It was later claimed that Ralph and his Frenchmen were the first one to chicken out, which resulted in his nickname, The Timid, the attackers razed Hereford and despoiled the relics of King Ethelbert which had been housed there at the local church. King Edward of England responded by appointing Earl Harold Godwinson to solve the threat. The Welsh chickened into South Wales, and Harold Godwinson eventually negotiated a peace with them at Bilingsley near Boulston in Archenfield , which resulted in Aelfgar's restoration of his earldom and Gruffydd ap Llywellyn of Gwynedd had to become king Edward the conf...

Normans attacking Castle England King Gruffydd aided by viking mercenaries attacked into Herefordshire  and during a battle on the 16th of june the bishop Leofgar and many Anglo-Saxons was killed by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn at Glasbury-on-Wye. Earl Harold Godwinsson once again responded to the threat, repulsing the vikings, and again the Welsh king Gruffydd swore allegiance to the Anglo-Saxon king. Iceland The first bishopric was established at Skálholt in Southern Iceland. Isleif was a native Icelander, when he died in 1082 he was followed by his son Gislur. Normandy William the Conqueror had a third son, William Rufus who later became king of England

Normandy One French army commanded by Odo, brother to the king Henry I of France, came from France along with troops led by Rainald, Count of Cleremont and Guy, Count of Ponthieu. The army entered Evreux and began looting. While Duke William the bastard was busy with king Henry I of France to the west of the Seine River, a force of Norman barons led by Robert, Count of Eu, Hugh of Gournay, Walter Giffard, Roger of Mortemer, and William de Warenne came out of their own lands to stop the French looters. The French force was widely scattered and was an easy target for the Norman forces of Robert, Count of Eu. The battle of Mortemer lasted for hours, but the French were defeated with heavy losses. Guy, Count of Ponthieu was taken as a prisoner during the the battle.When news of the defeat got to the French King he decided to withdraw. Map of Duchy of Normandy After the defeats of 1052-1054 the rebellious Norman lords were exiled, the lands of the Counts of Pointhieu were conf...

Painting made by Lorentz Frølich Denmark The ambitious archbishop of Hamburg/Bremen Adalbert was announced as papal delegate and the right to elect a bishop in Scandinavia.This was a defeat for Sweyn Estridsons church policy which wanted to start a Danish Archbishopric. Also in his private life Sweyn crashed with Adalbert, who demanded that Svein should divorce his wife Gunhild, because they were to closely related to receive the blessings of the church. Sweyn answered with a furious rage that he would plunder and burn down Hamburg, but he had to accept it because pope Leo 9 supported Adalbert. Viking woman Cross of Gunhild made of Walrus tooth an inscription tells who it belonged to Gunhild was widow of Anund Jakob and the half cousin of Svend. Gunhild might had pushed for the divorce herself, as Svein was known to have many affairs. Sweyn Estridson celebrated Easter in Merseburg as a guest of the German emperor Heinrich 3. England On the 15 April Godwin, the earl o...

France William the bastard were humiliated at Alençon. After a failed attack, the defenders on the wall insulteds about William his illegitimate birth and beat animal skins with sticks to patronize the fact that his grandfather was a tanner. William managed to break into the town, William captured 36 of the men and punished them by ordering for all of their feet and hands to be severed. William continued similar atocities against his foes, however, his favoured punishment was imprisonment for years or dungeon for life.  Wales According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a raid by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn on Leominster in 1052 resulted in the Battle of Llanllieni , between the Welsh and a combined force of Norman mercenaries and English Saxon. The Welsh won. Source: Gwynfor Evans (1974). Land of My Fathers: 2000 Years of Welsh History. Y Lolfa. page 156. ISBN 9780862432652

William the conqueror England Godwin, Earl of Wessex was forced out of England by King Edward the Confessor for refusing to take action against the townspeople of Dover, who clashed with the visiting Norman Eustace 2, Count of Boulogne. Normandy William the bastard, later called the conqueror captured the Bellême family strongholds at Alençon and Domfor.

Viking Woman statue Denmark Harald Hardrada plundered Scania and coastal areas of Denmark and he reached the eastern coast of Jutland, attacked Aarhus and he burned Hedeby by sending fireships into the harbour. An archaeological underwater excavation later discovered 2 of these hulks at the bottom of the Schlei. In the following years, Sweyn Estridsson began building an earthwork parallel to the Connecting Work at Dannevirke. 560 Coins were found at Haagerup, Fyn in 1943 by Kaj Arne Frederiksen they were probably dug down and hidden so Harald Hardrada and his Norwegian looters could not get the treasure. Finland Swedish vikings attacked Finland. Scotland A bishop was accepted in Orkney. Sweden Anund Jacob, ruler since 1022 died and his brother Edmund the Old became the new king of Sweden, he ruled until 1060. Sweyn Estridsson married Anund Jacobs wife, Gunhild, he got a huge dowry, and was now a wealthy man.

Baldúin of Flanders-signet found at Laeborg the army road Belgium Emperor Henry 3 attacked Balduin of Flanders with help from Sweyn Estridsson. Sweyn wowed faithfulness to the German emperor Henry 3 and got his share of the looting of Flanders. Wales Vikings from Ireland became allied with Gruffydd ap Rhydderch the king of Gwent in raiding along the River Usk . Ealdred, the Bishop of Worcester, was unsuccessful in his attempt to stop the vikings. Count Balduin 4 of Flanders

Harald Hardrada Denmark With a Norwegian fleet Harald Hardrada plundered the coasts of Jutland, he did not try to conquer land, but the population of Jutland suffered very hard under his cruel behavior. Hedeby was pillaged. England A failed Viking raid on England made the unsuccessful raiders flee to Flanders.

Sweyn II Estridsson 1019-1074 Denmark King Magnus the good died 25 October in a riding accident, and at Viborg thing, Sweyn II Estridsson was proclaimed king of Denmark. Norway Harald Hardrada inherited the kingdom of Norway and took the dead body of his nephew back to Nidaros, Trondhiem.An old story told that Magnus testamented the throne to Sweyn Estridsson. Normandy August 10: Battle of Val-ès-Dunes: William the conqueror, Duke of Normandy, with help from King Henry I of France, reestablished control of his Duchy by defeating a group of rebel Norman barons at Caen. Spain Vikings fought vs Crescono,Bishop of Santiago de Compostela until 1066.

Viking axehead Denmark Sweyn Estridson and Harald Hardrada tried to establish an army to overthrow Magnus. Soon after Harald Hardrada made peace with Magnus, the viking mentality of always supporting the strongest side and  Sweyn Estridson was the weakest and known for bad war luck. Magnus gave Harald Hardrada a part of his kingdom in return for half of the share in Harald Hardradas Byzantine treasure. Sweyn did not like Harald Hardradas tradition for plundering and murder, because it was a way to gain unpopularity. Sweyn Estridson continued his struggle weakened. Viking Jewel Normandy  An inheritance rebellion against William the Conqueror started with  an ambush near Valognes on the Cotentin Peninsula, but the rebels failed. The noble rebels were Gui of Burgundy, Nigel of the Cotentin, Rannulf of the Bessin, Ralph Tesson of Thury, Grimoald of Plessis, and Haimo of Creully, they raised an army of 25000 men. The rebels tried to capture William the Conqu...

England 23 January Edward married Edit the daughter of Godwin. Sweden Sweyn Estridsson thought that he had a new ally in his fathers brother Harald Hardrada. Harald Hardrada  returned from Byzans where he had served in the Varanigian guard . They met in the Swedish town Sigtuna. Sweynn had fled Denmark and lived at the court of Anund Jacob of Sweden. The viking game Tafl from a Swedish runestone