The Righteous King
Taline
Middle English News
Witan is a group of England’s sixty most noble Englishmen (most powerful nobles, the king’s council). Since the Witan is wealthier and has more authority, Godwinson had their votes to be Edward’s successor. Godwinson was very educated. He was head of the army and familiar with government. Harold Godwinson was the last, great, Anglo-Saxon king.
Defeat
Taline
Middle English News
The events of Harold’s life agreed to set him on a countdown to the last catastrophic moment. He was born in 1020. Harold’s father was Earl Godwin, the most powerful in all the land. At the time, Edward the Confessor was king. He needed the support of the most powerful, noble family, the Godwin family, so he married Godwin’s daughter (Harold’s sister) Edith of Wessex. Harold worked with the navy, while Edward was King of England. He watched over, guarded the English coast from invaders. Herald may have been from a successful family, but his family contributed to his failure as ruler of England for more than nine months. His family fell apart, because of this the course of history changed. Tension in the family started out with Herald’s sister lacking an heir. For a woman, there was always pressure to bare a son, to produce an heir, and since the Godwin family lacked an heir, troubles rose. Next, Harold’s older brother, Swein, was a bully and exiled to Denmark. Three years later Swein returned and wanted Harold to accept him back, but Harold did not see why he should waste his time with Swein since Swein had wasted his time. Harold was no longer a child, he was serious and engaged in the kingdom to rule, to be a strong naval commander, warrior, and a positive figure in the country. The family lost its unity; they were torn and no longer indomitable. Swein was a psychopath that ended up killing his own cousin Tostig. Harold’s father and older brother were on one side of the country now, while Harold, his cousin Tostig, and cousin Beorn were on the other. Edward the confessor and Earl Godwin had conflicts and rivalry occurring within the kingdom. Godwin family isolated themselves, so King Edward attacked Earl Godwin, forcing the family to flee (exiled). About ten months later the Godwin family shipped back to London. The family’s lands are restored, but Earl Godwin and Swein die.
Strength
Taline
Middle English News
In the near future there was a crisis with the Welsh. Edward the Confessor used Harold Godwinson to deal with the Welsh campaign to prove himself as a strong soldier and politician, plus he was the only man that could do this. Harold makes a deal with the Welsh, land in return for a withdrawal from one of their leaders. The main Welsh leader was named Griffith. Harold decided to attack Griffith’s territory. “Harold in Wales shows a man of great military tactics” (Robinson). Tostig helped fight on land, while Harold fought on water, sailed. Harold wins and proves his strength, leadership, and loyalty to King Edward. “In the end, the Welsh sent Harold the head of their leader” (Robinson). Harold’s role as the Earl of Wessex gave him land South of England, and the Welsh success brought him land on the border. He received many rewards from the kingdom for his defeat. He was a very rich man by now. “He was a multi-millionaire” (Robinson). Edward married Edith Swanneck. They had about six children. Harold is one of the only English kings to have had a real, genuine relationship. Him and Edith had a true, love affair for twenty years. They were married until the day Harold died in battle from an arrow through his eye, as shown on the Bayeux Tapestry. “The Tapestry shows that everything was blown off course for Harold Godwinson” (Robinson). This Tapestry consists of Harold’s history with very detailed embroidery. Harold had a duty, which was custom, to fund religious institutions. Doing this as a noble ruler, your reputation was enhanced. Harold also had suffered from paralysis because he went through a stroke. He believed that the holy cross did save him from paralysis, so he then created a holy place or contributed to this place called the Waltham Abbey, in 1030-1060. It is a very beautiful place. Harold was always working hard to get ahead of others with his loyalty and warrior like attitude. Anglo-Saxon nobles of the King’s Witan Council decided Harold would be the rightful successor of Edward, because he would not be overwhelmed to rule the country since he already had much practice at tasks similar to that of a king’s. Once Harold dies in the Battle of Hastings, the Viking era ends. Harold’s death marked the end of a best-known battle in England’s history. “A simple twist of fate changed England’s country” (Robinson). According to the Chronicles, Harold’s wife found his naked body after the Battle of Hastings. She identified him. Harold was definitely not a quitter. He showed perseverance, courage, bravery, loyalty, duty, and faith in England. He was heroic and defended England with all his might, against “overwhelming odds”(Robinson). Over five hundred years of native English Civilization Harold stands for all of that, “he stands for old English” (Robinson). King Harold appealed to many English nobles and peasants. He was a very effective and influential person. “He would have been a national hero, but the arrow found his eye” (Robinson). England also had lost its language and culture after King Harold was killed, because it was invaded with Norman-Saxon culture and a new aristocratic, privileged alit or settlement who spoke a different language and “that social gulf is still taking a long time to bridge” (Robinson).