(1)
King
Harold's army was made up of housecarls and the fyrd.
Housecarls were well-trained, full-time soldiers who were paid for
their services. The fyrd were working men who were called up to fight
for the king in times of danger.
(2)
When Harold realised he was unable to take William by surprise
he positioned himself at the top of Senlac Hill, a high ridge
seven miles from Hastings. Harold selected this position because
it was at the top of a steep hill and was protected on each
side by marshy land.
(3)
The English housecarls provided a shield wall at the front of Harold's
army. They carried large battle-axes and were considered to
be the toughest fighters in Europe.
(4)
The fyrd were placed behind the housecarls. The leaders of the
fyrd, the thegns, had swords and javelins, but the rest of the men
were inexperienced fighters and carried weapons such as iron-studded
clubs, slings, scythes, sickles and pitchforks.
(5)
We have no accurate figures of the number of soldiers who took part
in the Battle of Hastings. Historians have estimated that William
had 5,000 infantry and 3,000 knights. King Harold had about 2,500
housecarls and over 6,000 members of the fyrd. Before the fighting
started, William spoke to his men and reminded them they had never
lost a battle under his command.
(6)
On 14th October, at 9 am, the Norman archers walked up the hill and
when they were about 90 metres (98 yards) away from Harold's army
they fired their first batch of arrows. Using their shields, the bousecarls
were able to block most of this attack. The Norman infantry then charged
up the hill.
(7)
The English held firm and the Normans were forced to retreat.
Members of the fyrd broke ranks and chased after the Bretons. William
ordered his cavalry to attack the English who had left their positions
on Senlac Hill. English losses were heavy and very few managed to
return to their place at the top of the hill.
(8)
At about 12 noon there was a break in the lighting for an hour. This
gave both sides a chance to remove the dead and wounded from the battlefield.
William, who had originally planned to use his cavalry when the English
retreated, decided to change his tactics.
(9)
At about 1 pm William ordered his archers forward. This time he ordered
them to fire higher in the air. The change of direction of the arrows
caught the English by surprise.
(10)
The arrow attack was immediately followed by a cavalry charge. Casualties
on both sides were heavy. Those killed included Harold's two brothers,
Gyrth and Leofwine. However, the English line held and the Normans
were eventually forced to retreat. The fyrd this time chased the Flemings
down the hill. William ordered his knights to turn and attack the
men who had left the line. Once again the English suffered many casualties.
(11)
William now decided to take another rest. He had lost a quarter of
his cavalry. Many horses had been killed and the ones left alive were
exhausted. William decided that the knights should dismount and attack
on foot. This time all the Normans went into battle together. The
archers fired their arrows and at the same time the knights and infantry
charged up the hill.
(12)
It was now 4 PM in the afternoon. Heavy English casualties from previous
attacks meant that the front line was shorter. The Normans could now
attack from the side. The few housecarls that were left were forced
to form a small circle round the English standard.
(13)
The Normans attacked again and this time they broke through the shield
wall. A group of knights that included Guy
of Ponthieu, Eustace of Boulogne, Hugh de Montfort and Walter Giffard
were able to reach the English king. After a few minutes they managed
to kill Harold.
(14)
With their king dead, the fyrd saw no reason to stay and fight, and
retreated to the woods behind. The Normans chased them into Malfosse
Wood where they killed as many as they could find.
The
Normans: Classroom Activities
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
