The Battle of Hastings was the most decisive Norman victory in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Battle of Hastings - Prelude. On September 28, 1066, William of Normandy, asserting by arms his claim to the English crown, landed unopposed at Pevensey after being delayed by a storm in the English Channel. Legend has it that upon setting foot on the beach, William tripped and fell on his face. Turning potential embarrassment in front of his troops into a face-saving exercise, he rose with his hands full ...

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• Battle of Hastings - The battle
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On September 28, 1066, William of Normandy, asserting by arms his claim to the English crown, landed unopposed at Pevensey after being delayed by a storm in the English Channel. Legend has it that upon setting foot on the beach, William tripped and fell on his face. Turning potential embarrassment in front of his troops into a face-saving exercise, he rose with his hands full of sand and shouted "I now take hold of the land of England!" (This bears suspicious resemblance to the story of Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain; and was probably e ...

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Battle of Hastings, Battle of Hastings - Prelude, Battle of Hastings - The battle, Battle of Hastings - Aftermath, Battle of Hastings - Links

Read more here: » Battle of Hastings: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Hastings - Prelude

The battle commenced with an archery barrage from the Norman archers and crossbowmen. However, as the Norman archers drew their bowstrings only to the jaw and their crossbows were loaded by hand without assistance from a windlass, most shots either failed to penetrate the housecarls' shields or sailed over their heads to fall harmlessly beyond. In any event, the archery failed to make any impression on the English lines. Normans relied on picking up enemy arrows shot back at them, and as the Saxons had left thei ...

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Battle of Hastings, Battle of Hastings - Prelude, Battle of Hastings - The battle, Battle of Hastings - Aftermath, Battle of Hastings - Links

Read more here: » Battle of Hastings: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Hastings - The battle

Only a remnant of the defenders made their way back to the forest. Some of the Norman forces pursued the English but were ambushed and destroyed in the semi-darkness when they ran afoul of steep ground, called in later (12th century) sources, "the Malfosse", or "bad ditch." William, after resting for a night on the hardly-won ground, began the work of the Norman Conquest. He recruited his army for two weeks near Hastings, waiting for the English lords to come and submit to him. Then after he realized his hopes of submission at that point wer ...

See also:

Battle of Hastings, Battle of Hastings - Prelude, Battle of Hastings - The battle, Battle of Hastings - Aftermath, Battle of Hastings - Links

Read more here: » Battle of Hastings: Encyclopedia II - Battle of Hastings - Aftermath