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Thread: The Ever-Popular 1066: English Win Hastings

  1. #21

    Default Re: The Ever-Popular 1066: English Win Hastings

    The Normans needed a workforce, the Saxons might only need lebensraum.
    Eats, shoots, and leaves.

  2. #22
    IrishBlood's Avatar GIVE THEM BLIZZARDS!
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    Default Re: The Ever-Popular 1066: English Win Hastings

    Here's something interesting I found! I'm not sure if this is well know, but after the Siege of Exeter Harold's son's went to the King of Leinster, in Southern Ireland, for aid. Said King had been an ally of their father and had recently come into control of the Norse city of Dublin and had installed his son as it's ruler. This allowed the exiled princes to raise an Irish/Norse army of mercenaries and attempt two separate invasions of southern England;

    ''The setback at Exeter did not curb Harold's cubs and they went to Dublin with their huscarls to seek aid from King Harold's friend, King Diarmait. In the summer 1068 they were back with a force of Dublin Norse mercenaries. They attempted to make Bristol their base, but the locals proved to be unsympathetic, so they were forced to try and take it by storm. The reason for the resistance may have been a fear of William's known wroth, or a dislike of the Hiberno-Norse mercenaries rather than disloyalty to the Godwin family. The city held, and the brothers sailed off with the booty they had taken from the surrounding countryside. They landed in Somerset near land that had been held by the Godwins for years, they might have intended to raid the Taunton mint. The local Fyrd led by Eadnoth Staller met them. Eadnoth had been a loyal supporter of their father but after his death at Senlac had submitted to William. The battle was hard fought with big casualties on both sides and Eadnoth's death. It is thought possible that Magnus Haroldson also died on the battle field as he is never heard of again. There is, however, at St John in Lewis, Sussex, an inscription dated from the time that records the presence of a Magnus a prince of the royal northern race. As Sussex was the homeland of the Godwin clan it may be that Magnus, possible crippled, spent his remaining life there as an anchorite.

    Godwin and Edmund were back the following year of 1069 with a fleet of 60 ships. Their attempt to retake Exeter was foiled by the Norman garrison in their newly built castle and strengthened city walls. Frustrated, the brother raided Somerset and Cornwall. Rounding Lands End they headed for the Godwin holdings of Nettlecombe and Landford Budville. The lack of local opposition made the brothers incautious and they were caught and defeated by a large Norman force under Count Brian. In the battle and subsequent encounters the brothers suffered heavy losses and only a remnant returned to Ireland.
    The failure of the Haroldsons to re-establish a base in England caused Gytha and the family with her on Flatholme to seek refuge with Count Baldwin VI of Flanders. Baldwin and the Godwin kin were tied by the marriage of Tostig Godwinson to Baldwin's aunt, Judith. Whilst Gytha and her daughter Gunnhild entered the nunnery of St Omer, where Gunnhild died in 1087 after performing many good works, the brothers Godwin and Edmund journeyed to the court of their cousin, King Swein of Denmark. ''

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