The Saxons receive no rest as William puts them to the test!
The arrows came hurtling through the sky and one struck Harold in the eye!
With this wound, the hopes of all Saxon England would die!
This was the prevailing opinion of Harold’s fate although it has been disputed by historians in recent years. It has been suggested that Harold was actually killed by some knights who in a somewhat less than chivalrous manner, then proceeded to cut his body into pieces. Harold’s two younger brothers Gyrth and Leofwine had been killed earlier that day and the Saxons now leaderless became disheartened and many began to leave the battlefield.
‘Harold himself, fighting at the front of his army, fell covered with deadly wounds. The English, seeing their king dead lost confidence in their own safety, and as night was approaching they turned and fled.’
A Norman monk, William of Jumieges, writing in 1170.
The night was black as pitch
and many a Norman knight died at place known as ‘evil ditch’.
As the Saxons were fleeing back to their homes, the jubilant Norman knights decided to press their advantage and pursued them. Darkness was falling and being unfamiliar with the terrain, many of them fell headlong into a ravine that was obscured by brambles. The Normans called this place ‘Malfosse’ which translates as ‘evil ditch.’ Those that survived the fall were swiftly dispatched by the vengeful Saxons.
As an act of thanksgiving to God for his great victory, William would build an abbey on Senlac hill. The High Altar was said to mark the exact spot where Harold Godwinson had fallen.
An Englisman’s home is his castle?
Actually the first castles in England were built by the Normans and were greatly detested by the English. William immediately began a process of constructing castles built out of mud and timber. These castles were known as the ‘motte and bailey’ variety. They were built in this way because speed was of the essence. William simply did not have the time to build stone castles. He needed to base his forces in defensive shelters dotted across the land. The motte was a high mound with a small fort on the top to enable the Normans to spot any signs of trouble. The soldiers would live in the bailey and in the event of any serious threat would take refuge in the fort on the motte. They proved to be a most effective device in securing Norman control in England
A room with a view!
Hey Mr Saxon we are spying on you!
A victory complete?
Has William now got Saxon England at his feet?
No! William would experience resistance to his rule. The most serious uprising against William occurred in the north of England in 1070. He crushed it with a savagery that went far beyond his customary severity in dealing with opposition. His brutal thoroughness shocked even his most battle-hardened commanders. William first defeated the rebels and he then proceeded to destroy the agricultural base of the region without which human life could not be sustained. King William inflicted total war on the population by killing every living thing including crops that he encountered in northern England. This was genocide as people died in their tens of thousands! Those who escaped being put to the sword would die of starvation or sickness as disease follows famine as surely as night follows day. It was named the ‘Harrying of the North’ and its effects would endure for decades.