Harold Godwinson - Song in Old English - HD Remake | The Skaldic Bard

[@SkaldBard]

By popular demand, I decided to remake/remaster my song, Harold Godwinson, in better quality. The intonation of the singing is also different in parts to make it more authentically pronounced (which might feel a little jarring to begin with if you are familiar with the original version!), and I improved some of the lyrics in places. Growing up in England and being a real enthusiast for my native tongue, I’ve always had a downer on the Norman Conquest for spelling the end of Old English in England (not to mention the brutal treatment the Northern English suffered at the hands of William the Conqueror not long after). Harold Godwinson, the final Anglo-Saxon king, has thus always been something of a hero of mine. The odds he was up against are incredible; he had to march across the length of England - from London to Stamford Bridge near York - to fight the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada and his own brother, Tostig Godwinson. He won the battle, after which he almost immediately had to march all the way back down to Hastings in the south, in full gear, having just fought - and he did that in just four (!) days. Heartbreakingly, the English could have won the Battle of Hastings, but the Normans managed to lure them from their strong position and encircle them. Who knows what the world would look like now if Harold Godwinson had won - for better or worse! I have made this song to honour his attempts at defending England from every manner of foe. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think in a comment (I very much enjoy reading them), and feel free to leave any suggestions for historical figures/events/topics you’d like me to cover! My intention is exclusively to teach history and languages through song. I do not condone, endorse or seek to glorify violence I do not own any of the artworks in this video - they have been selected for educational purposes. All credit goes to the original artists.

[@felipeschmoellerSCJ]

Can you remaster the harald Haldrada too? It would be awsome hear that song with this quality!

[@SkaldBard]

@@felipeschmoellerSCJ In the plans, my friend!

[@waldemarfilms4561]

Great job man, i love your channel, makes me passionate with anglo-saxon culture!!

[@Hrvatski_vojnik]

Next we need the English Varangians remastered

[@totalwartitan5118]

Awesome as always. Makes me wish I knew old english, or could make stuff as cool. All we need is an HD remaster of Harald Hardrada, and a song about William of Normandy, and we have all 3 of the trio

[@faryafaraji]

The melodic climax towards "Engalande" 1:13 is so insanely satisfying, killing it as always my friend

[@nosferatu1]

Hi Farya.

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks, man :D

[@goulven05]

Yooo wassup Farya, nice seeing you here lol

[@haroldgōdwinessunu]

@@faryafaraji Hi Farya!

[@J-alCapone]

Yo farya is here too. We need more collabs between these guys.

[@Eppursi]

Two best songs of all time 1. Harold Godwinson HD remake 2. Harold Godwinson

[@volanonion]

Honorable Mention: Alfred the Great

[@DB3W601]

​@volanonion Otto the great and Charles Martel too

[@deusvult8340]

The old chorus hits different tho

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

Also: the varangian guard

[@heinrich-johannvonwallenst6034]

Harald Hardrada Visigoths also

[@rerenaissance7487]

Harold was the last truly English king. After him we had Normans, Welsh, Scots, Lowlanders and Germans (the present bunch). The sheer range of differences today if the day had gone differently is pretty unfathomable.

[@Lee_Sun_Shine]

Νο. Edgar Etheling was the last truly king of English (14 October - 10 December 1066).

[@haroldgōdwinessunu]

I am a simple Angloid, I see 'Old English', and I click. Wes hāl, Harold, endenhesta cyning Engla!

[@Woden-96]

The true and rightful king of England and the english people plain and simple 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿✝️♥️⚔️

[@haroldgōdwinessunu]

​@@Woden-96Indeed. Love the profile picture, my Angloid brother.

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

​@@haroldgōdwinessunuhi harold how is your eye?

[@haroldgōdwinessunu]

@@FlaviusBelisarius500 Still hurts.

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

@@haroldgōdwinessunu well, with time and a bunch on normans sent back to the creator you will not even remember it.

[@grechdania]

As good as always. To think that England was at the time so culturally close to Norsemen. Not only Saxons were Germanic in origin, but but previous conflicts with Norse invaders also brought a lot of north Germanic settlers. It's influence is still there in modern English (sky, leg, stranded, anger, etc). So fascinating to think that without the Harold's defeat, we could potentially be looking at a country that would strongly culturally resemble modern Scandinavia. Of course, it is just a speculation, but it just makes me wonder about how a single order from Godwinson could change that much, if it was understood and followed by his army. Some may say that Normans themselves were also Norse, but it is not really the case. They assimilated very well in Francia and likely spoke clean French. William himself had very little "Viking blood" in him and Saxons in England were miles closer culturally to Norse. That is visible by their language, names, military tradition, etc. Thank you, Skald for keeping the memory of heroes of old in people's minds. As they say... 'Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways men can be immortal.' Thanks for immortalizing them and for keeping my ears entertained. Дякую та бажаю всього найкращого!

[@uberfeel]

Even their armour looked similar, which is no surprise because the saxon and angles germanics were very close to northmen and had constant in and out migration between them.

[@grechdania]

@@uberfeel To be fair, early medieval Europe is basically dudes in chainmail pocking each other with pointy sticks.

[@SkaldBard]

I think about the "second death" idea quite frequently, so I appreciate you pointing this out, my friend. I very much appreciate the support!

[@Fact-fiend_1000ASMR.]

"Cattle die, and kinsmen die, And so one dies one's self; One thing now, that never dies, The fame of a dead man's deeds."- Havamal

[@estebancorral5151]

It was the Anglos, Saxons, and Jutes that were Germanic. English is a Germanic Language.

[@Alexx93753]

I can imagine bards singing this back in the day shortly after the Battle of Hastings to honour and commemorate Harold. The tavern erupting into song with all of Harold's surviving fyrd, huscarls and earls inside singing alongside the bard about their beloved heroic king, his legendary victory and his tragic end.

[@prodigalsonofsuns]

After reading "The Fall of Orthodox England", Harold Godwinson became one of my favorite kings, regardless of his faults. Amazing song as always, Skald!

[@sztallone415]

The best heroes have faults. Real life ones are mostly tragic too

[@robinrehlinghaus1944]

@@sztallone415 God choose William to be king still

[@kacperprogamer5097]

​@@robinrehlinghaus1944 nah

[@robinrehlinghaus1944]

@@kacperprogamer5097 Nothing happens that God does not want

[@Pepe-pq3om]

​@@robinrehlinghaus1944 Not sure about that

[@kubikkuratko188]

Those thundering shield bashes at the Battle of Hastings part were epic!

[@uberfeel]

This guy never misses, another certified banger

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks, man, and good to hear from you as always

[@uberfeel]

@@SkaldBard Thank you, also do you have any future idea for a tolkien based video?

[@leonardoflorentin]

Harold story is tragic, sad and heroic, a fit story for the last of the saxon king.

[@Alexx93753]

William did his best to wipe Harold from history. Thank you for immortalising him in song. One big middle finger to that Norman usurper William. We English never forgot our true king Harold Godwinson.

[@Æthelstān-thé-glørîøüs-96]

Well bloody said maté but Harold godwinssunu will never be forgotten as long we Anglo Saxon English exist he will all ways be remembered plus Harold is our true and rightful kings and all we native English no this william will never be our king he might of rule over but we do not accept him and never will he was a tyrant plain and simple may our truth king Harold godwinsunu rest in peace 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿✝️❤️⚔️

[@richardlee653]

When you first play this video, Old English seems like a completely foreign language. Watch it a few times, particularly if you are looking at the Old English text with its translation to modern English, and you can recognise more and more.

[@Dryhten1801]

yup

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

What a remake, I love this song and i really felt the war cries at 4:55. Wes Hal Skald

[@SkaldBard]

Ic þe þancas do, si God mid þe!

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

Ic þe þancas do, si God mid þe eac

[@Haimariks]

@@SkaldBard Hal wes þu, min freond! God beo mid þe! Ic þancige þe forðon þe us þæt micel leoþ geaf!

[@lordanglish]

Being from the North East of England, it is amazing that I can follow along and understand most of the words - the "UT" yelling being fully understandable is almost poetic, with the Harrying and all that. Feels like I'm nearer to my Angle-Saxon forebears, thanks Skald for remastering the song that made me follow you - keep up the Old English!

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

I don't know why but as an italian who knows english and is studying latin(even if it doesn't matter with it) I was able to actually understand a lot of words

[@gabrielemusica6513]

​@@FlaviusBelisarius500 as a fellow Italian Who studies indo-european languages for a living (not yet, but that's the goal, I'm still in uni lmao), studying Latin actually matters a lot! Old English is a lot close to Proto-Germanic, a splinter language from proto-indoeuropean which is a very conservative (close to the parent) language, the same one Latin stems from (with a lot of steps in the Middle lol)

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

@@gabrielemusica6513 yeah i know, but english and latin are two languages very different. Look at the grammar latin and also italian are a lot more difficult

[@Belisarius536]

I’m Scottish and we still say oot.

[@FlaviusBelisarius500]

@@Belisarius536 wait, you speak Gaelic or Scot?

[@Hoshinosaull]

Just listened to the original and now this popped! Skaldic never fails us!

[@lorenzofedrizzi8584]

GLOOORY I LOVED THE OLD ONE

[@goulven05]

Same here haha

[@MISTAWULFY]

Never get tired of these

[@-Blackberry]

Hail Harold King! True King that I of the English folk acknowledge!

[@Woden-96]

Well bloody said mate he is our true and rightful king 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿✊🏻👍🏻

[@Czarwren]

Now london is ownd by Islam

[@leod-sigefast]

Wonderful. A true imind to our fallen forebears, kith and campifere. Normans ut and forever! We should never underbow to the Norman yoke!

[@Hrvatski_vojnik]

ƿes hal Harold Gōdƿinesunu, ƿe sind his fyrd! Love from Hrvatska 🇭🇷❤

[@ultrablue7018]

The shields and thunder sounds on the ''ÚT ÚT'' is such a good touch good job, absouletly adore yourr music, And a remake of Jórsalanám is something I'd love to have. As it is my favorite old norse song of yours.

[@SkaldBard]

Thank you very much!

[@Czarwren]

​@@SkaldBard is there a longer version of the UT! UT it give me goosebumps

[@NetherTaker]

Those "UT!"s legitimately gave me chills!

[@LuciaSims745]

It reminds me of brexit, I heard that foreigners, especially Portuguese, would have to leave England and go back to their country because of Brexit... But now there should still be Portuguese people living and working in England, right? I just heard they leave their country, especially doctors to work in other countries like England or Netherland to have a better life. Idk and this "ut" reminds me of that somehow.

[@Dryhten1801]

@@LuciaSims745 I just heard the English will become a minority by 2066 if immigration is sustained. Out! Out! Indeed.

[@Czarwren]

​@LuciaSims745 no we are OK with other Europeans it's the middle east people we want out

[@LuciaSims745]

@@Czarwren oh, ok thanks. I didn't knew, ty

[@Czarwren]

@@LuciaSims745 the reason britxit happened with because of Merkel making europe take middle Eastern people that don't want our culture. Look at Paris london and Berlin

[@Beorneofmercia449]

Blimey i was thinking when a remake of this was coming, bloody fine work skald😁👏 and the thundering ŪT caught me off guard having this at full blast with earphones

[@SkaldBard]

Haha, love it

[@Latin_Forever276]

ŪT OF ENGLALANDE!

[@goulven05]

Lol I know right? Sounds pretty epic though, took me by surprise as well

[@grandmarshallsteve]

Oh my Lord, I was just listening to the original and wondered if you'd remake it! Your original song was the second of yours I ever listened to, and ol' Harold is one of my favorite historical figures, so this is absolutely awesome to see. Wes hāl, Harold Cyning!

[@Кивис-ч3й]

Woah, pretty cool change in pronunciation and intonation. Now I gotta learn to sing it again in this new style.

[@justagreekhistorian]

There it is! The song I discovered this channel from, being made into HD! I can finally die in peace I especially liked the energy put into the ŪT and the change of stress from Godwínes Sunu to Gódwines Sunu, it sounds so much better this way Great remake man, keep it up, I loved it

[@ukaszkarwacki6639]

Hard to believe that you were able to improve the already-masterpiece original. Great work Bard, as always

[@nosferatu1]

Thank you for updating the classics, master.

[@kingcrimson1773]

No way, remake of the first song of yours I ever heard (and also probably my favourite). Was not expecting this but this is very nice. Long live the memory of King Harold, and thank you sir!

[@SkaldBard]

Wonderful!

[@pedroricardo478]

"ŪT OF ENGLALANDE!"

[@heiliger_sturm]

Outlanders out!

[@Latin_Forever276]

ŪT OF ENGLALANDE!

[@Czarwren]

​@@heiliger_sturmtolate we're going to be a minority in Europe

[@Robespierre228]

​@@heiliger_sturm Muslims first and foremost.

[@Czarwren]

​@@Robespierre228 tolate

[@saltygammon1]

This is the energy the English need today

[@vögelweiss]

One of my fan favourites! Immaculate work as always.

[@JefftheEvilRombaSchmidt]

A classic of this channel indeed!

[@King_Ulf]

Hail Harold Godwinson! Hail The Skaldic Bard!

[@valentinakyshev7294]

One of my favorite channel songs. Both the music itself and the story narrated by this song are beyond praise! Thank you for your creativity, Skaldic Bard!

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks so much for your edifying words of support

[@vojtechotava1417]

Yes, Bard! You answered my prayers for this remaster! Thank you!

[@corneliu-mihaimagureanu6626]

Holy King Harold, Martyr and Passion Bearer, pray to God for us! Truly the last English king

[@GameboyMega]

I've been waiting for this one! Another banger from the Skaldic Bard!!!🔥

[@Ананасик-й9д]

I'm glad to notice that you make your songs very melodic, as the previous one. Also lyrics are great as always. I really enjoy that I discovered your channel less than a year ago. Thank you very much for your job and please keep it up!🙏🏻

[@JefftheEvilRombaSchmidt]

I think a song about Penda the last pagan king of Mercia would be cool as he fought many wars against Northumbria, and despite the Germanic people at that time being seen as hostile outsiders, the Britannic tribes in Wales allied with him.

[@SkaldBard]

That could indeed be fairly cool

[@ub3rfr3nzy94]

He was to them, the lesser of two evils, the Northumbrians were raiding them and were a huge threat, the enemy of my enemy after all.

[@servantofaeie1569]

Interesting how Penda was Germanic considering how Brythonic his name sounds, especially with that initial P

[@DannyJones-q8z]

Please do - im from Mercia and we crave heavy metal anglo saxon songs ​@SkaldBard

[@orangeanarchy235]

I also love the fact that Penda's father's name is Pybba and his successor was Peada.

[@MalhaoDelas]

Discovered your channel with this song. Love it.

[@jaredtindall2447]

Well done on the remake Bard! My 25x great-grandfather in the paternal line was a first cousin of Gytha, Harold's mother. The battle of Hastings could have went either way with William getting unhorsed 3 times. I often wonder how different our lives and the English language would be today if Harold could have survived long enough for reinforcements and repelled the Norman invasion.

[@SkaldBard]

A very unique historical claim, wonderful! Glad you like it, my friend, and it is certainly interesting to ponder how it could have been

[@servantofaeie1569]

How do you know that? Did your family keep extensive records for hundreds of years?

[@Haimariks]

@@servantofaeie1569 it's possible, considering that was during a time of much greater literacy, however we can't be sure

[@servantofaeie1569]

@@Haimariks I thought people were less literate in the past?

[@J-alCapone]

​@@servantofaeie1569 I think he means that during the Anglo-Saxon rule, kings like Alfred encouraged literacy more than later kings like the Normans and Plantagenets and so on.

[@Aureus_]

It's a blessing! I was listening to the original and I got the noti for this, Wes Hal Bard!

[@agentbimlo4555]

I just simply love every version especially the remakes i mean even if they are the same songs they sound so new! Hope to hear maybe a remake of every song but just maybe because they are a lot. Keep it up hope to see you very soon! 😁😁😁

[@jamesbatesibusquets7617]

Thank you, Skaldic Bard, for the new remake! The changes for authentic pronunciation made it even more exciting to see again! It feels even more special! It's still my favorite of your songs! Thank you! Keep up the good work!

[@ErwinHistory]

Oh nice. This is my favourite. My wife thinks i listen to this so much shes banned me from not using headphones!! Keen to hear the remaster

[@ragingsmurfling7205]

Omg it's here! This was my single favorite song of yours and now you've released a new version of it. This straight up got me interested in learning more about the English language in it's older forms. Only one that compares in how much it influenced my older music tastes is your palästinalied in Old Norse song, which was the first time I ever heard palästinalied. I really appreciate your work and how much I've been inspired to learn about older languages that helped make modern English what it was because of them. I hope you continue for many more happy years. Cheers

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks for this wonderful message and for sticking with me!

[@robbygomez9966]

One of my favorites of yours, glad to hear a remake!

[@LiamOdell-g9g]

Yes!! Finally the masterpiece remake i was wating for Amazing song

[@TheMostSteelDooshbagEver0451]

Masterpiece

[@J-alCapone]

Thank you very much sir for this remake. It is much appreciated.

[@henrykkeszenowicz4664]

One of my favorite songs of yours. Enjoying it big time.

[@SkaldBard]

@@henrykkeszenowicz4664 Awesome stuff, friend

[@ChirkunovIvan]

His daughter became the Smolensk princess and a very large part of russian kings are his descendants. I am proud to be russian because of my country's connection with Harold.

[@clodsirelover2501]

Russo-British union💀💀💀

[@persianmoez39]

It was the song that made me sub you. You are great

[@Hu55ar]

I love this. I simply love this.

[@키릴-v8v]

This ballad is so epic , but tragic

[@goulven05]

A classic banger, but remastered! Haha, thank you again Skaldic Bard for this amazing song

[@poleo792]

Your constant commitment to remastering your older stuff is incredible. Every song I enjoy seems to get improved five minutes later! Keep up the brilliant work my friend!

[@LythronaxIGuess]

Glad to hear a remake of the first one of your songs I found!

[@SelectorJohnson]

Always and forever.

[@NUTella_enjoyer]

What an amazing iteration of this song, bravo. You always manage to up the quality of your music each time a new song is released. As for Harold, he was truly a great warrior who sadly never realized his fate as the rightful King of England. It's a shame that many folks have never heard of him and most likely never will, but that is exactly why it's great to see appreciation being directed at historical figures who aren't the subject of discussion quite often such as him. Also, since you've made a song regarding Hadrada and technically two about Godwinson. I think that it would be amazing if you completed the lineup and made one about William. Also also, to reiterate, you have a gem of a channel on YT. There aren't unfortunately many that are centered around this type of music. We are definitely blessed to have someone like you who makes exquisite songs such as this one.

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks so much for the support! It's great to have you here. And I'm leaning towards making something about William, but I'm not sure my Anglo compatriots would ever forgive me!

[@svedorn]

Please make HD versions of your other songs as well. I like the Warband wallpaper :D

[@persian639]

Great job brother, as an interested in history and linguistics I really enjoy your musics and learn so much from them. Ic þancie se broþer

[@AAQULIS]

The song i came to this channel from sounds even better in remaster!

[@crusader2112]

The Last King of England! May he rest in peace. 🫡🙏🏻

[@deusvult8340]

The royal family today are his descendants

[@Alexx93753]

@@deusvult8340 No they're of William's stock. Usurper stock.

[@J-alCapone]

​@@deusvult8340 unfortunately they're not if I'm not mistaken

[@deusvult8340]

@@J-alCapone Since Edward VIII I believe

[@karlsamsongardek2622]

First time I have heard this song. Very good as usual! I like how you have made awesome songs about both Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada- it lets us see the conflict between them from both points of view, which I like!

[@gumbaaufmbuhuu900]

Great to hear this new version! Heard a lot of your songs during my Bachelor’s thesis, also this one! I would love to hear a song about Rollo, Count of Rouen and first ruler of Normandy ❤

[@SkaldBard]

Great idea! Thanks for sticking around

[@angelmeier4382]

I just saw it after coming back home from my shift. It's cool.

[@ethanpeeler3147]

I can finally sing every word along with the song. I’ve been excited for this one.

[@bine35]

legendary

[@Alexx93753]

Beautiful remake of a classic

[@KnightOMurk]

Finally, the long-awaited remake of one of your best works is here! Great job as always!

[@SkaldBard]

Thank you!

[@Penda117]

"Seven feet of English ground, as he is taller than other men."

[@abhayraj6390]

Finaly! Love this, thanks a lot for the remake

[@Cody-5501]

My favorite song remastered!

[@Kerem-uw2ov]

Best song about Hastings yet arrived again. You know what we need to have now? An epic edit of this banger by Samuel Kim Music

[@AveSPQR]

True and great King of England! This song sturs up a great amount of Saxon anti-Norman resentment in me, which is funnuy because I am probably descended from a Norman at some point.

[@DannyMcAuleyGBUK]

Brilliant as always 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks so much for the big support, my friend - really appreciate it 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿💪🏻

[@kubikkuratko188]

GREAT!

[@AlessandroGagliardi-wr7kh]

Bro you been dropping op videos lately your awosome keep it up

[@rev1ction]

Finally! Amazing work! UT OF ENGLALANDE!

[@lukefriesenhahn8186]

As always, you never fail to disappoint! I personally love your rendition of your original song "Harold Gōðwinesunu". I will definitely save this to my playlists.

[@sometimesicryinthebasement5121]

“OUT! OUT!” Shit slaps so hard

[@Woden-96]

Proud to be anglo saxon english we might have got beat and rule over by the Norman's but the one thing they couldn't change was our germanic English blood hate the Norman's for ruined our language hail the true and rightful king of England and the english people Harold godwinssunu 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🙌🏻✝️♥️⚔️

[@Alexx93753]

I refuse to acknowledge William's stock as royalty. England hasn't had a true king since Harold.

[@Czarwren]

The saxon ran t byzantine and became the vorengin guard

[@dimitar3730]

you would think this channel has 500k subs. The song is absolutely fabulous mate, love it. Kyaaaaa UwU

[@blakeprocter5818]

This was amazing to hear. Been one of my favourites for a long time. Now I can only hope you'll give Olaf Tryggvason the same remake treatment. It's still one of my all time favourites by you.

[@99IronDuke]

For King Harold and England.

[@deusvult8340]

Now we need a song about William the Conqueror to tie it all together

[@Robespierre228]

In old french?

[@Musipict]

A sad history of fratricide. From then, till recently. No more brothers wars !!!

[@coolmanidk]

It's my favourite song of yours 🎉🎉

[@ThePalaeontologist]

The bittersweet tragedy of this entire chapter of English history still resonates loudly today, for a variety of reasons. I can't help but think of the Harrying of the North, where even the obligatorily pro-Norman, essentially captured Anglo-Saxon chroniclers were so disgusted at William's behaviour, that they outright just told him he was going to Hell for it. It was so bad that some estimates put the attempted genocidal campaign the Normans carried out in Northern England, at >200,000 lives lost (at a time when all of England's population was ~2 million tops) Probably exaggerated, the carnage was still bad enough for William himself to read the room correctly and undergo penance rituals for days, at Westminster Abbey (a shallow and convenient gesture, perhaps, but still indicative that _even he_ knew he went too far) Northern England never truly recovered, by way of status. One might say that the Yorkists in the later Medieval Era in general, had a better go at restoring some of that Northern power. That said, what I'm referring to is the paradigm which had existed long before even 1066. The North had often been the powerhouse of culture, artisanship and leadership, in the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. Just as much as the North was, so had been the Midlands via Mercia, for instance. Wessex only became such a powerhouse later on in the tenure of the Anglo-Saxons (a Southern Kingdom) The Northumbrians began to decline, because of the Vikings, straightforwardly. Losing York was bad, and this by itself clipped the wings of a once more self-assured Northern sense of independence from the South. What happened in 1067 onward was something else, though. Death tolls were _probably_ more like 80,000-120,000, rather than 200,000, I would hazard a guess, though the Normans were ruthlessly going around setting up their castles, all over the map. Northern thegns/thanes and the few remaining independent (and living) ealdormen, were too few to rally a well-organised, and just as importantly, well-armed resistance, against the Normans on their vicious war horses (trained to bite and kick; and yes, they did) The Normans were so insecure about their hold on power after the 9 hour nightmare at the Battle of Hastings, in which they only just managed to turn the battle in their favour (whether we choose to believe that Harold was slain with an arrow to the eye, or not; beware the Bayeux Tapestry, it is Norman propaganda and the sick Orcs actually forced the women of England to make a lot of that tapestry with the women of Bayeux, it wasn't just a Franco-Norman creation; it was the equivalent of modern TV advertising; weaving our own story of demise; never believe everything the Normans say, they were incredible liars), that they capriciously drew sword on the crowds outside Westminster Abbey, when William was being crowned. They were on edge and paranoid of riots, and mistook the intrigue and congratulations of some locals, to be a mob shouting at them. They started cutting civilians down. It says it all about what the Normans really were. Thugs, in pretty clothing, blasphemously using the Pope's approval to further their own economic gain. The innocent people of Northern England were spirited and brave, but they had no chance against what were, essentially, the battle tanks of their day (the Mounted Norman Knights) Only the thegns and huscarls stood up to them, and only them in shieldwall. When the shieldwall broke, the Battle of Hastings degenerated into a confused melee with islands of Anglo-Saxons fighting to the end, and the rear-line Fyrdmen (militia farmers) breaking after such a long and exhausting day. As is well-known, from the account of both sides of the battle, there were portions of the Anglo-Saxon line, baited out downhill. The Normans were not a fully-known quantity to the majority of the rank and file of Harold's army. He knew _exactly_ how dangerous William was. He knew he was facing a far more well-organised and forward-looking, mainland European army. He knew that. To his men, the Bretons fleeing into the woods were a disgrace. Single-combat and notions of heroic duels, still held a lot of currency to the Anglo-Saxons, and their cohesion could be disrupted in various ways. The Anglo-Saxons were tired, hungry and very much annoyed. They'd spent weeks guarding the Southern Coast. Had William landed when the Royal Army was defending the South, then he'd have been pushed back into the sea. Fate would have it differently; that the winds changed, whilst the English were still in the North, having just defeated a huge Viking Army under the most feared Vikingr of the Age (and Harold's own traitor brother; the erstwhile Earl of Northumbria, whom coveted Harold's power and resented not being a King in his own right) Hardrada and Tostig were both rightfully slain on the battlefield at Stamford Bridge; Hardrada, shot in the throat at close range by a lowly archer, drowning in his own blood. Tostig held a rearguard towards the end of the battle, and they were crushed. Tostig was cut down with the rest. Some say, pretty convincingly as far as the level of injuries Tostig received. The Huscarls and Thegns had taken serious casualties in leading the charge against the Vikings on the other side of the river, and bearing the brunt of the fighting. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, had fallen. It is sometimes said that had more Huscarls been at Hastings, the Anglo-Saxons could not have lost (or at least, would have held their shieldwall longer, and in doing so, likely won the battle) A few units of Huscarls remained, including some which formed a thin crust over the outer shieldwall. Others defended Harold himself. After Harold's injury, which I do believe happened as told, at some point in the battle (probably much later than is sometimes stated), the remaining huscarls anywhere near him, were said to have formed a circular shieldwall around his corpse, fighting to protect it until they were all slain, to the last man. The Normans dismembered Harold's body. Legend has it that Edith Swanneck, the famously beautiful lover of Harold, also known as Edith the Fair, identified Harold's corpse (or, parts of it) from tattoos on his body that 'only a wife would know, in the marital bed'. She outlived him, in her own mourning for him, for 20 years, passing away in 1086. Much has been made of the _potential_ for the Anglo-Saxons to have won if this, that or the other thing had, or hadn't happened. There are indeed many ways of interpreting it. The English sent the Vikings home in 22 out of 300 of their longships, such had been the slaughter at Stamford Bridge; such had been the scale of their victory. Note that, in _any_ other era of Anglo-Saxon history, this would have been the greatest victory imaginable over the Vikings. Especially one so dangerous as Hardrada. The irony being, Hardrada knew his claim was poor; he just wanted one more war, before he became too old, bragging about his life of warfare and bloodshed, in the drinking halls in Norway, slowly becoming insecure about his advancing age and wanting to prove himself, one more time. Fulford would be his final victory; Stamford, his demise. Perhaps the Vikings did make the difference, in the end; allowing their partial descendant offshoots, the Normans, to finish Harold Godwinson's short-lived rule off. Then again, perhaps we could blame the weather, allowing William to sail to England. What is often forgotten (as much as myself, a Northerner, reminds others of the way the Harrying of the North is too often forgotten) is that the Harrying of the South was absolutely a thing from the moment William arrived. A score of English hamlets and villages were put to the sword and torch, for the sake of baiting Harold out of better ground. Numerous Anglo-Saxon civilians were subjected to atrocities all across the periphery of Pevensey Bay and beyond, as William wanted to make his presence known. It was a pattern of behaviour, which only continued. A needless cruelty, typical of the Normans. A cruelty William had already meted out to French towns which had defied him, and called him names (mutilating entire garrisons, and civilians, for having mocked his 'bastardy') After the Normans won at Hastings, they hastened to London and Westminster, to solidify and consolidate their power in England. To officiate, and in their eyes, substantiate, William's claim to the throne. Nobody was left to stop him, scattered after the slaughter at Hastings, in which over 95% of England's Anglo-Saxon landowners were slain in a day. Confusion reigned. Any chance of resistance, was on ice for the immediate time being. Before the Anglo-Saxon people knew it, castles were sprouting up around them, to declare their subjugation. Thousands of brave Englishmen still lay rotting and crow-bitten on the battlefield; William had forbidden the clearance of the battlefield (well, he allowed the Normans and Bretons to defile corpses, and to steal treasures, and to bury their own dead; but not the English) In a savage act of cruelty, William forbade the English from taking their loved ones from Senlac Hill, drenched with blood and viscera. It would have been the most tragic place, full of visual nightmares, after days, and weeks passed. Naturally, English people - doing so under pain of execution - still went to the battlefield. Mostly, to collect their relatives. Imagine that, having to rush around a traumatising battlefield, to find what remained of your loved one(s) and trying to make sense of the visual onslaught in front of you. Many wives, mourning, the cries of a Kingdom echoing over the red morning dew. A stench, hanging over the battlefield. There were others there, too. Thieves and other assorted opportunists, cutting rings from fingers and stealing good iron weapons. This was not how the Anglo-Saxons wanted to be buried.

[@ThePalaeontologist]

P.S. (character limit reached) - They wanted to go to their forefathers in the old ways, not to be left rotting in the sun and rain alike. Not pecked by crows and thieves. Not disrespected that way. They _all_ deserved better. Every single one of them. William denied them that, just to make a point and to upset people. He earned his previous moniker, if any bastard ever had. William died painfully, as he more than deserved, and the comedy of morbid errors in his burial, were fitting of such a disgusting man. William was no conqueror, just an opportunist and murderer. The Northern rebels were just trying to fight for the world they knew, and William ploughed into them with cavalry, hunting them up hill and down dale. It was the end of Anglo-Saxon England. The end of an era. The poorly organised and lightly armed and scarcely armoured Northern peasants, never stood a realistic chance of stopping the Normans. The way William treated Southern towns, happened again in the Midlands and the North. The way the North was punitively slaughtered, left it depopulated for centuries. This is reflected in the absolute crash in the Northern wool economy, for centuries to come (allowing the Cotswolds in Southern England, to become more well-known for it; as well as for wild sheep to gnaw at the landscape and change entire areas into moorland. It would take a long time for things to get back to some sort of normality in the North; and by then, it was too late. Westminster (Westmonster) had changed forever and would never stop being that which it now was. Markedly, anti-English. Markedly foreign. Even centuries before 1707 and the formal end of the Kingdom of England. The Scottish like to say they were the biggest victims of Westminster. Try Northern England, and I might believe that.

[@Dryhten1801]

. It's grim up North.

[@ThePalaeontologist]

@@Dryhten1801 Well, if you're referring to classic North-South divides, fine. That is a thing.

[@facoulac]

lets go, amazing like always

[@Riym2]

Love all yours songs, keep going you are doing great job

[@SkaldBard]

Thanks very much, friend

[@jiaxunliu8181]

At least he did the last thing he could did, which is: He did not escape, he choose to stay, he choose to die as the king of Anglo-Saxon.

[@SFMor]

даааа, теперь звук лирики просто прекраснейший!

[@NorwegianSedevacantist]

The chef has cooked again 🔥(Please give us Jorsalaljod remake 🙏)

[@goulven05]

YES that'd be great!

[@NorwegianSedevacantist]

@@goulven05 I see, a fellow person with common sense! We need Jorsalaljod remake!

[@ThePalaeontologist]

This is great.

[@k4rm4yt92]

Moja ulubiona XD

[@Unionatwar]

"Ut of Englalande" a saying that has stood for a millennia

[@DominionSorcerer]

Except for when the Romans came. And the Angles. And the Saxons. And the Norse. And the Danes. And the Normans.

[@Dryhten1801]

@@DominionSorcerer Please read books little marxist.