The Battle of Fulford Gate and the Battle of Stamford Bridge were both fought in England only weeks before the battle of Hastings.
Soon after Harold Godwinson was crowned King of England in 1066, he summoned together the army and the navy to await the expected invasion from Normandy. For months they stood guard, watching the stormy channel for any sign of William. As the year passed into September, Harold decided that it was too late in the season for any invasion. With the expense of maintaining a standing army weighing heavily on his coffers, Harold sent his soldiers home. A few days later, Harold received word that Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, had landed an army in the North. Worse still, Tostig Godwinson, Harold's brother, had joined with Harald Hardrada and brought his own invading force down from Scotland.
As Harold rushed to reorganize his army, Harald Hardrada and Tostig marched towards York. Just outside the city they were confronted by a small army led by the brothers Earl Edwin of Mercia and Earl Morcar of Northumbria. Little is known about the battle of Fulford Gate, the only account coming from the Icelandic chronicler Snorri, who is thought of more as a storyteller than a historian. In his description, the Norse invaders formed a line of battle with one flank protected by a river and the other by a deep ditch than ran parallel to it. In the centre of the line, Harald grouped his best warriors around his raven banner, which was called 'land-ravager'. The battle itself was a bloody affair. Initially the English got the upper hand, but then Harald personally led his elite warriors into the fight and broke the English line. The English fled, many drowning in the river. The Earls managed to escape, but with their army broken, they would play no further part in the military events of 1066. Harald and Tostig marched into York and the city surrendered.
Meanwhile, in the south, King Harold had not been idle. He spent two weeks gathering his forces and then set out. In five days, his army covered 190 miles, a remarkable feat considering that many of the men were unlikely to have had horses. On the morning of September 25th, the army marched through York, which had been left undefended, and surprised the invaders at Stamford Bridge. The Norwegians had received no hint of the coming English Army, and had left half of their own forces miles away to guard their boats. Frantic messages were sent to the men by the boats as the two armies drew into lines of battle.
With the armies standing ready, Harold Godwinson called a parley and met with his brother Tostig in no-man's land. Harold supposedly offered Tostig a third of his kingdom. When Tostig asked what he would offer Harald Hardrada, Harold famously replied, "Six feet of English ground, or as much more as he might need as he is taller than most men." So ended the negotiations.
Snorri's account of this battle is even more suspect than his account of Fulford. It is thought that the outnumbered Norsemen formed a ring around Harald Haradrada and his banner. The English swarmed around them and slowly took apart the Norse circle layer by layer. Snorri reports that Harald Hardrada was mortally wounded when an arrow pierced his throat. With the Norsemen on the point of breaking, reinforcements arrived from the ships. These new Norseman had quick-marched miles from the ships, and many had abandoned their armour and shields to achieve greater speed. They struck the English forces with berserker fury, but tired from the march, and with no armour to protect them, their attack could not be sustained. The English forces bent back, but did not break. As night began to fall, the remaining Norseman gave up the fight and retreated, leaving Harald Hardrada and Tostig dead on the field. Harald Hardrada's son Olaf negotiated piece with Harold and sailed away with what remained of the invasion force.
A few days later, as Harold celebrated his victory he received a message. William of Normandy had landed in the south...
