This is a bad ass Medieval battle I read about in Parke Godwin's historical fiction novel, Lord of Sunset . In Lord of Sunset , it recounts the rise to power of Harold Godwinson, successor to Edward II (the Confessor). Harold Godwinson became King of Britain in 1066, and on September 25th of that year, Harold Hadrada, King of Norway, invaded Britain to claim the throne on the heels of the death of Edward II. King Godwinson met King Hadrada's Vikings at Stamford Bridge, and a fierce battle ensued, resulting in a glorious British victory. This victory was short lived, however, as a mere three-weeks later, William of Normandy (the Conqueror) invaded Britain at Hastings. King Godwinson, barely recovered from his fierce battle with the Vikings, was slain at Hastings, and the Norman occupation of Britain began.
It is said that the Battle of Stamford Bridge was the end of the Viking era. Accounts of the Battle tell of the Vikings being caught unprepared for battle because of the swift British advance. It is said a single Viking warrior stood upon Stamford Bridge, wielding a huge battle-axe, slaying all who opposed him, buying time for his comrades to don their armor and join the battle. This lone Viking warrior, who some theorize was Norwegian King Hadrada himself, strikes the very image of a hell-handed reaver, piling corpses around him as his battle-axe sings a bloody hymn to Odin. What a grand final stand for the Vikings!
It is said a British spearman floated under Stamford Bridge in a barrel and thrust his spear between the planks, striking this lone Viking slayer down. A British victory shortly followed.
I think this would be an awesome battle to re-create using Battlelore, and I intend to do just that. Here's a link to some information on the Battle of Stamford Bridge...this should provide ideas to creative Battlelore players for how to set-up the battlemap: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge .
Hear this: too many people in today's society have forgotten their history, or they have no concept of the bloody price at which their freedom was purchased. Only through a study of history can we understand what makes us, as a nation, who we are. If you ever watch the Jaywalking segment on Jay Leno , I find it sad, not funny, how ignorant people are of history. Men fought and died, shed blood and cried in agony, for their ideals, homelands, and freedom. We must honor the memory of warriors past recalling what they did. I think re-creating historical battles in Battlelore is a means of doing this. Battlelore may be a simple tabletop wargame, but if it encourages us to learn about the past, and brave deeds and heroic conflicts of times past, then surely it is an excellent medium for us to pay homage, however inadequate, to our ancestors, who fought for their rights and freedom with bloody sword and axe in hand. I encourage every serious player of Battlelore to learn about a battle of the Medieval era, one that has not been covered yet in Battlelore products, and discuss it briefly in this forum, and then create and play through the battle with your friends. What a brilliant way to learn history, honor the memory of fallen heroes from the past, and ensure that we do not become ignorant, foolish lemmings like so many in society today.
Hail and kill!