Introduction Harald Sigurdsson, better known as Harald Hardrada ("hard ruler"), was one of the most formidable warrior-kings of the Viking world. His life was the stuff of legend—ranging from battlefields in Eastern Europe to the imperial courts of Constantinople. However, his dea

The fall of Fulford had enormous consequences. York capitulated just days later, and the northern resistance was crushed. For a moment, it seemed that Hardrada might succeed in establishing a Norwegian kingdom in England. But only five days after the battle, King Harold Godwinson made a daring fo

When history remembers the year 1066, it typically conjures the dramatic showdown at the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror secured his claim to the English throne. Some also recall the Battle of Stamford Bridge, where King Harold Godwinson repelled a Viking invasion in a brutal fight j

The death of Edward the Confessor in January 1066 left a power vacuum in England. Harold Godwinson, a powerful English noble, claimed the throne. However, his claim was contested by several others, including William, Duke of Normandy, and crucially, Harald Hardrada. Harald based his claim on an agre