english – The Wargaming Erratic

September is a busy month for battle anniversaries in Yorkshire not least in 1066.

On the 20th the Vikings of King Harald defeated the Saxons of Earls Edwin and Morcar at Germany Beck in what is now Fulford. There are not many references to this battle – given that two climatic battles followed, its understandable.

The battle was according to records fought near where the beck joins a sharp turn in the river Ouse.

Crucially the defeated Saxons made good their escape as a rising tide flooded the beck. This meant they could fight another day.

There is a tapestry of the Fulford battle displayed at various locations over the years since it was made in 2012 after ten years effort!

On the 25th September the Saxons under King Harold of England defeated Harald and the Viking host at Stamford Bridge.

It was the end of the Scandinavian Viking threat after hundreds of years of invasion.

A tapestry of the Stamford Bridge battle can be seen in the old railway station at Stamford Bridge.

It was another Viking Scion – the Norsemen who took land in the Carolingian Empire and called it Normandy – who a few generations later then defeated the English in turn at Hastings.

It can be argued that without Fulford and Stamford Bridge there would have been no Hastings and maybe a different war between Harold and William might have played out.

So maybe instead of waiting for yet another Norman invasion (the bayeaux tapestry is en route to the UK) you could visit these other tapestries when they are on show instead or as well as.

People remember William for what followed yet Harold had marched 500 miles with his household troops and won a great victory putting together two separate regional armies before arriving at Hastings: William fought an outstanding adversary.

Back in 2020 I put together some shield wall armies and had some fun trying out various rules.

https://thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2020/09/06/prelude-to-wargames-rules-tested/

Do Royal Mail Romans give hope to Mercians?

Dover Lighthouse by the Romans is featured in the latest set of Royal Mail stamps

The Royal Mail have just issued some new stamps showing aspects of Roman Britain. Dover Lighthouse is one while the Roman Cavalry helmet in the feature image is another.

It set me thinking and a quick check confirms it I suggest. No Angles, Northumbrians, Mercians or Saxons have been commemorated by the Royal Mail.

OK so the Anglo Danish army feature in the 900th anniversary Hastings stamps of the last century. But that is a Norman story really.

And Bretwalda Raedwald (an East Anglian king) who was maybe Sutton Hoo man made a bit part in the 2003 British Museum set.

But surprisingly King Alfred – the Great of course – has yet to get on an envelope as far as I can see. So maybe the Royal Mail should do a set of “English” (whatever that term really means in a dark age discussion) Kings from the dark ages – Offa (except he was a Mercian), Athelstan, Edward the Elder, Edgar (all West Saxons though) and maybe even Cnut. Cnut was admittedly Danish but we tended to call him Canute so he can be an angle or saxon englishman if we squint a bit!

And what about the Kings of Wales, Ireland and Scotland during the 500 odd years between Roman Britains’ demise and the Norman Conquest? Surely the Royal Mail could have made something of characters like High King Brian Boru, King Malcolm II or Rhodri the Great to highlight the diverse history of all these islands off the european coast.

Actually Alderney island published some stamps with interesting artwork showing the battle of hastings; note artwork not blocks of stone or metal artefacts.

The Romans look a bit boring set against these more mysterious Dark Ages characters.