Part 14: Conclusion

Prosperity

And Harald had all to himself the crown of Norway and the North, for here, God made the sacrifice of Olaf more’s the whole. Now had he the crown of Norway then in ’47 be, and ruled the North with iron hand and iron men beneath him stand. None would stand against him, and he came both loved and feared among his people all with Odin’s warm imbraz. These people, they of Od, and now of God, grew strong and multiplied.

Built he then ships of war and merchantry, and did he mint a goodly coin with stable backed by arms and content both. With these two resources, the Norsemen did enrich their land through stable and remunerative trade abroad and in the home. Also did his men consolidate the final remnants of the heathen North. Each local lord, in turn was given over to the Lord and joined they then in Christendom.

Then every year from ’47 through to ’64, he warred with Sweyn, his erstwhile pirate ally, now the king of Danish March. Every Summer when the seas were favored for the raids, he raided Denmark. Never did he best the crafty Sweyn, who was his equal on the bounding main. And as King Sweyn consolidated power in his kingdom, he could allocate his soldiers to defend the places set by Harald’s fighters. Harald did win booty from aggressive naval action but never could he jostle Sweyn and so unseat that rogue.

King Harald ruled them hard, but ruled them in good measure, well. No one who stood against him. Even though he was in his old age in ‘66, still he was the soldier-king set in the hearts and minds of all his countrymen.

All his subjects knew that it was only Edward’s precious humors that Whacht separated Harald from uniting the two Kingdoms under one great lineage.

Harald’s Claim

There was one other thing that Harald did’st want before he died: England.

When Edward the Confessor, childless, was taken to his sweet reward, the child of his fellow-king, that Godwin, took betook himself to sat upon the throne. It happened suddenly. Before his rival men (Edward Ætheling and Cousin Bastard William) could stake their claim upon the throne, Harold Godwinson had made the thing his own.

Recall ye now that every nobleman of English or of Saxon blood could claim upon the throne. It was up to Witan men in counsel to bestow upon the head most worthy, the crown of Angle-Land. Although ‘tis true that at times their hand was forced by force of arms or the rabble in the street of London, the Saxon principle of Witan a Gemot did hold firm in Saxon’s hearts: Kings were raised up by the wisest ones among the tribe, as they were been directed to by God.

And curious Fortuna bid Hardrade enter this grim tournament.

Early on in ’66, Tostig Godwinson, the English King’s wee brother (and a worm if you’d believe) was made up to the Earl of Umberland, above a varied people, and they not well in his hand. But Tostig had a base design upon the throne of Englishkind, and needed he an ally for to make his wheel beturn.

So Tostig sent an emissary off to Norway and to Hardrade’s Court. Tostig well invited Norway’s King to enter into fellowship with him. Tostig then imagined that King Harald would be satisfied to place this Tostig on the throne, a prince of Englishmen, and subject to the older man.

And Hardrade let the whelp believe this elftale true. For Hardrade was quite hard in counse; well-tyrannical’ like iron ruling over men; a savage politician; tough and quite severe. But also, when his enemies made folly of themselves, he stood aback and gave those foolish men who hanged their fates sufficient slack.

Hardrade pulled his sailors and his soldiers from their battles with the Danes. He then gave them instructions to prepare to fashion England’s chains.

Long Memories

Recall now, Edward the Confessor, he the celibate and pious, had sworn to satisfaction over Godwin for his brother’s life. Edward well remembered this. In fifty-one, the men had quarrel over diocesian placements. Edward favored holy men to staff the Holy Church, while Godwin was inclined to place his own men in these offices, to empty out their purse. There was no peace for fifty-one or fifty-two between the men.

Archbishop Robert sat in Canterbury well accused Earl Godwin of a plan of regicide! And at this mark, each man, the king and Godwin both, called up their vassals and their men to face each other off, one at another: war.

But Godwin’s men were faint, and faded they their courage in the face of pious Edward and his stalwarts. Godwin sued for peace. King Edward said, “You may have peace and weal when thou delivers’t the same to my poor brother, who you slew.” And so Earl Godwin and his sons drew out the corners of the Realm and out, to Ireland and Flanders then. Edward put a letter out to France to send their men to take up rulership in Godwin’s place, for Edward knew the lot of them from all the time he’d whiled in Normandy.

Edward then repudiated Edith, consort of the King and Godwin’s wife and cloistered her unto a nunnery for all her life.

In ‘53, Earl Godwin well returned and brought with him a mercenary heathen army made from Vikings and from Gaels. Whilst one his sons, named Sweyn, had died upon a pilgrimage to the Levant, his other sons joined in with him to set upon King Edward then.

But both men, King and Earl, believed the nation to be far too tenuous to take a civil war and then turn back some grim attack amating from the Continent as well; they came together peaceably and restorated up their previous arrangement. Edith came back from her nunnery and was made up unto the Queen again. The Frenchmen turned and fled. But Sweyn, the Earl of Umberland, was gone and truly dead. What then?

Edward gave to Harold Godwinson the Earldom of his now-departed elder brother. Harold shewed his father’s skill in arms, and also was he clever in administrating. He would make a better king than Godwin ever would, in Edward’s estimated vien.[1]

And in a way, God answered Edward’s prayer, for Godwin died in ’53 and left this Harold as his heir. Harold Godwinson and Edward got along in kingly matters better, and were better friends than Edward and his father ever were.

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[1] Learned opinion.