Battles+and+Berserkers

 The Battle of Stamford Bridge:  It happened on the 25th of December 1066. It was fought at Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire. It was fought between the Saxons and the Norwegians. The Saxons were under the power of Harold, the King of England. The Norwegians were the Vikings who were attacking England to claim ownership of Stamford Bridge. When Edward the Confessor died he left no direct heir, and the throne of England passed to Harold of Wessex, who was leading the Saxons. Harold’s brother Tostig influenced the legendary Viking warrior, King Harald Hardrada of Norway to invade England. Stamford Bridge ended the long Viking threat to England. Although Stamford Bridge was a great triumph for Harold and the Saxons, their strength was sadly depleted by the fight. And now they faced an even greater foe as news arrived that Duke William of Normandy had landed in Sussex. The weary Saxons turned south once more and marched back as quickly as they had came. They then met the Normans at the fateful Battle of Hastings.
 * Battles and Berserkers. **

The Vikings didn’t really have a proper army or fighting style. They just fought ferociously. Before battle, young warriors held their shields in a “shield wall” to better protect them. At the start of the battle the warriors threw spears to show their dedication to Odin and to show that the war had begun. After that came a shower of spears, arrows and other missile types. During the battle both the sides tried to break through the barriers and capture the leaders. Trying to break through the wall the commanders of both sides came up with a plan to get through. They did this by forming a wedge of 20 to 30 warriors, with its point towards the enemy line in what was known as the svinfylking, or 'boar formation', and then charge, hoping to break through by sheer weight of numbers.

Berserkers wore nothing when going into battle. They fought in groups and thought that Odin, the god of war, gave them superhuman powers and protection so they did not need armour. They would work themselves into a battle frenzy so intense it is said they bit on the edges of their shields, and could even ignore severe pain.

Another famous Viking battle is the Battle of Maldon. It happened mid-August, 991. It happened in Maldon, Essex. It was fought between Saxons led by Earl Byrhtnoth and the Vikings who were under Olaf Tryggvasson. It happened because Viking raiders had made frequent raids in search of plunder on the coast of Britain since the 5th century or earlier. In the late 10th century these raids became more cohesive - and more difficult to oppose. In mid August of 991 a force under the leadership of Olaf Tryggvasson descended upon the coast of Essex. Olaf's men appear to have been far more organized than the usual motley collection of raiders, and the entire force may have numbered as many as 3,000 men. In charge of the native defences was the alderman Byrhtnoth, the leading representative of King Aethelred in that region. Nobody really “won” this battle. The Vikings stayed and executed a tribe and threatened England. England ended up giving he Vikings 5 tons of Silver. Within a few years the Vikings were back.