Facts About Battle Of Hastings

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The Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066 was about the succession struggle to the throne after King Edward The Confessor died childless in January 1066.  The lack of clear heir to the throne paved way to the struggle as many contenders laid claim to the kingship of England .

 Fact 1:

The Battle of Hastings did not happen in Hastings but seven miles northwest of Hastings near to modern town of Battle, East Sussex . Recent research and investigations as to the exact site of the battle theorized that the exact spot is on a road junction on A2100 in present East Sussex .

 Fact 2:

Tailefer (Juggler) travelled to England with the army of William the Conqueror. During the Battle of Hastings in 1066, he sang the Chanson de Roland at the English soldiers while juggling with his sword. An English soldier ran up and challenged him but was later killed by Tailefer. He charged at the opposing forces and was killed . He was known to be the first casualty of war on William the Conqueror’s side.

 Fact 3:

There was a one-hour break during at twelve noon during the Battle of Hastings. Both groups used the time to remove the dead and the wounded from the battlefield

 Fact 4:

In the Battle of Hastings, King Harold II of England was defeated by William the Conqueror. The battle lasted for one day where King Harold II died and his forces were destroyed. He was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. His death and defeat established the Normans as the rulers of England .

 Fact 5:

According to the Bayeux Tapestry, King Harold II was killed from getting an arrow in the eye. However, the truth of his death remained unknown but it was most likely that he died while on foot armed with spear. Harold’s mother wanted to retrieve his son’s body by offering weight in gold but was denied by William the Conqueror .

 Fact 6:

King Harold II was denied by William the Conqueror a Christian burial. He was buried at Pevensey Bay, the shore he tried to defend. Some thought that he was later buried at the church he had established at Waltham .

Fact 7:

The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth that relays the events from the Norman Conquest of England ending with the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry has fifty scenes embroidered in linen and was most likely commissioned by Bishop Odo, half brother of William. The embroidery was not made in Bayeux but in England in 1070’s . French legend says that the tapestry was made by Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror’s wife and her lady servants.

 Fact 8:

During the reign of William the Conqueror, he had bridges and and castles built including the Tower of London. All lands and public positions were given to the Normans. English was replaced by the Norman language for the ruling class until the English language was restored nearly 300 years.William Conqueror died in 1087 after falling off from his horse. His son Rufus succeeded the throne .

 Fact 9:

William the Conqueror was a product from an affair between Robert I, Duke of Normandy and a woman named Herleva resulting him to be known as William the Bastard. His critics continued to use the name behind his back even after his victory at the Battle of Hastings earning him the name William the Conqueror .

Fact 10:

William the Conqueror was quite sensitive about his weight when he ballooned later in his life. He was compared by King Philip of France to a pregnant woman  about to give birth. There are reports stating that William Conqueror was so conscious about his body that he started a fad diet of consuming only wine and liquor, apparently it never worked .

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