Monday, March 18, AD 2024 10:15pm

Ved Stanford Brua

 

Something for the weekend.   Ved Stanford Brua, a modern Norwegian song on the battle of Stamford Bridge.

Nine hundred and fifty-five years since the Norman Conquest and it may be all the fault of my Bride’s family!  She is a descendant of Norwegian King Harold Hardrada (Hard Ruler), a true swashbuckler whose exploits ranged from Constantinople to the Arctic Circle.  He lived as a Viking although after he became King he was sympathetic to Christianity.  The golden age of Hollywood missed a great movie on his life with Errol Flynn in the starring role.  The Norman victory at Hastings may not have been possible but for his invasion of England in alliance with Tostig, the brother of English King Harold Godwinson.  Harold Hardrada was defeated by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, losing the battle and his life.  The battle was fought on September 25, 1066.   Harold Godwinson left much of his forces in the north to guard against any further Norwegian raids.   By the time of the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, Harold’s force was weary from fighting and forced marching and much smaller than it would have been but for Harold Hardrada’s intervention.  If Harold had won, who knows, perhaps my Bride would now be part of British royalty!  However, in that reality she almost certainly would never have married me.  I selfishly prefer this reality!

 

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
TomD
TomD
Sunday, October 24, AD 2021 8:35am

Ha! And I had a Norman ancestor who came over the Channel with William, though I have no way to know if he was at Hastings.

It’s a small world. I once calculated I had 5 degrees of connection to George Washington and 4 to Osama bin Laden. My brother, a hardware store manager in the USA, was once in a beer garden in Munich and someone approached him and asked “Don’t you work in that hardware store?”

SouthCoast
SouthCoast
Sunday, October 24, AD 2021 5:16pm

As a drecendant of William of Normandy, I like my history exactly the way it is! However, the best to your Bride, and I will raise a glass to her. For are we not all, now, one in Christ?

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top