The Norse Kings of England
In 1066 the crown of England was for the taking. The death of Edward the Confessor in January of 1066 left the seat of power unfilled, and three great men sought to claim it. Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex was the second most powerful man in England behind the King, and he became the focus of the Saxon opposition to Norman rule. His selection by the Witen as heir to Edward only ennobled his plans to seize the throne. But his opposition was stiff both from the North and the South. Though the crown was initially Harold's, it would only be won by right of conquest. Two armies stood between the Saxon king and his claim. A fleet of ships sailed across the channel, and another from the shores of Scandinavia. William, Duke of Normandy and Harald Sigurdsson each came to stake their claim to the throne of England.
(The Three Kings of England, Harald of Norway, Harold of Wessex, William of Normandy)
Much has been written of the quest of the Norman invaders to bring continental feudalism to the British Isles, but with the long established traditions of Saxon governance it is hard to imagine such a foreign rule taking root with any long term success. It is left to the minds of the creative historians to divine a future with a William I of England in 1066. Instead we now look back at the invasion of York as one of the most important turning points in the history of England to date. It was the moment when power passed from the southern Saxon lords to the hands of the northmen. The victories of the Norwegians against the armies of William and Harold established Harald as the eminent power of Northern Europe and brought his adventures to an end. It would also divide his realm, enrage his vassals and plunge northern Europe into decades of conflict and violence.
The Norse Kings of England
Chapter I: The Northern Wind
Part i: The Last Viking
Part ii: The Battle of St. Cuthbert
Part iii:The Conquest of the Normans
Chapter II: The New King
Part i: The Revolt of the Earls
Part ii: The Bloody Fields
Part iii: St. Swithun's Day
Chapter 3: The Conqueror's Fall
Part i: Build and Collapse
Part ii: The Anarchy
Part iii: The Compromise
Chapter 4: The House of York
Part i: Aslak of the North
Part ii: Maud of Normandy
Part iii: The Battle of Cambridge
Interlude I: Maps of the 12th Century
Chapter V: The Son of York
Part i: The Clean Succession
Part ii: The Petty Wars
Part iii: The Invasions of Scotland
Chapter VI: The Iron King
Part i: The English Crusade
Part ii: The Battle of St. Peter's Cross
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