Battle of Hastings
King Edward the Confessor died on the 5th of January 1066 without leaving a clear heir. This death triggered an immediate struggle for the English throne among three powerful claimants. Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex and son of the formidable Godwin, was elected king by the Witenagemot. He received his crown from Ealdred, the Archbishop of York, though Norman sources later claimed Stigand performed the ceremony. William, Duke of Normandy, asserted that Edward had promised him the throne and that Harold had sworn to honor that agreement. Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, also laid claim based on a pact between Magnus the Good and Harthacnut regarding mutual inheritance. Both William and Hardrada began assembling troops and ships within days of Edward's passing.
The English army at Hastings consisted almost entirely of infantry with very few archers. The core force included housecarls, full-time professional soldiers wearing conical helmets and mail hauberks. These men fought with two-handed Danish battleaxes or swords while carrying kite-shaped or round shields. The rest of the army comprised fyrd levies who owned their own land and were equipped by their communities. Modern estimates suggest Harold commanded between 7,000 and 8,000 men against William's similar number. William's invading force split equally between cavalry, infantry, and archers. His knights wore chainmail hauberks and carried conical metal helmets with nose guards. Cavalrymen used kite-shaped shields and lances tucked under their right arms.
Fighting began at 9 am on Saturday the 14th of October 1066 and continued until dusk. Harold positioned his forces atop Senlac Hill in a dense shield wall formation. The front ranks locked their shields together to create an impenetrable barrier for the English infantry. Norman archers fired uphill first but achieved little effect as arrows bounced off shields or overshot targets. Spearmen followed the archers into close combat but failed to break the English lines. A general retreat occurred when the Breton division on William's left faltered. Rumors spread that William had been killed during this confusion. He rode through his troops showing his face and yelling that he remained alive before leading a counter-attack. This feigned flight tactic was repeated later in the afternoon to draw English pursuers out of formation.
King Harold II died late in the battle though sources contradict regarding the exact cause. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts a figure holding an arrow sticking from his eye next to another fighter struck by a sword. An Italian monk named Amatus of Montecassino wrote about Harold dying from an arrow to the eye in the 1080s. William of Malmesbury claimed the arrow entered Harold's brain while a knight wounded him simultaneously. Wace repeated the arrow-to-the-eye account while the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio stated William personally slew Harold. The Chronicle of Battle Abbey noted no one knew who killed Harold due to the chaos of battle. Modern biographer Ian Walker suggests an arrow likely caused death though a Norman knight may have delivered the final blow. Peter Rex concluded it remains impossible to declare exactly how Harold died.
William crowned himself King of England on Christmas Day 1066 at Westminster Abbey. Despite this coronation rebellions continued for several years across the kingdom. Edgar Aetheling was proclaimed king by the Witenagemot with support from Earls Edwin and Morcar. William defeated English forces attacking him at Southwark before reaching London via a circuitous route. He received submissions from Stigand at Wallingford and advanced toward London from the northwest. Rebellions erupted in Exeter during late 1067 and Northumbria in 1068. An invading Danish fleet joined Northumbrian rebels in 1069 prompting the Harrying of the North. This campaign devastated northern England between late 1069 and early 1070. Hereward the Wake led another rebellion in 1070 that William defeated at Ely.
William founded Battle Abbey at the site of the battle with its high altar placed where Harold supposedly died. The abbey grounds were later altered by construction work making the defended slope much less steep than originally. In 1976 the estate was purchased by the government with help from American donors celebrating the bicentennial of American independence. The Bayeux Tapestry remains an embroidered narrative likely commissioned by Odo of Bayeux soon after the conflict. Modern annual reenactments draw thousands of participants to the original battlefield location. Recent archaeological finds challenge previous assumptions about recoverable remains due to acidic soil conditions. One skeleton discovered in a medieval cemetery now associates with Hastings rather than the 13th century Battle of Lewes.
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Common questions
Who won the Battle of Hastings in 1066?
William Duke of Normandy won the battle and became King of England. He was crowned on Christmas Day 1066 at Westminster Abbey after defeating Harold Godwinson.
When did the Battle of Hastings take place?
Fighting began at 9 am on Saturday the 14th of October 1066 and continued until dusk. The conflict started shortly after King Edward the Confessor died on the 5th of January 1066.
How many soldiers fought in the Battle of Hastings?
Modern estimates suggest Harold commanded between 7,000 and 8,000 men against William's similar number. The English army consisted almost entirely of infantry while William's force split equally between cavalry infantry and archers.
Where did the Battle of Hastings occur?
Harold positioned his forces atop Senlac Hill in a dense shield wall formation. William later founded Battle Abbey at the site with its high altar placed where Harold supposedly died.
Why did the Battle of Hastings happen?
King Edward the Confessor died without leaving a clear heir which triggered an immediate struggle for the English throne among three powerful claimants. Harold Godwinson was elected king by the Witenagemot while William Duke of Normandy asserted he had been promised the throne.
Who killed King Harold II during the Battle of Hastings?
Sources contradict regarding the exact cause though modern biographer Ian Walker suggests an arrow likely caused death. An Italian monk named Amatus of Montecassino wrote about Harold dying from an arrow to the eye while other accounts state a Norman knight delivered the final blow.