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The Battle of Fulford was fought at the place identified by Symeon of Durham as the village of Fulford〔Symeon of Durham. Symeonis Dunelmensis p. 81.〕 near York in England, on 20 September 1066, when King Harald III of Norway, also known as ''Harald Hardrada'' ("harðráði" in Old Norse, meaning "hard ruler"), and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar.〔DeVries. The Norwegian Invasion. pp. 255–259.〕 Tostig was Harold Godwinson's banished brother. He had allied with King Harald of Norway and possibly Duke William of Normandy but history has left us no record of what role Tostig saw for himself if the invasions were successful. The battle was a decisive victory for the Viking army. The earls of York could have hidden behind the walls of their city but instead they met the Viking army across a river. All day the English desperately tried to break the Viking shield wall but to no avail. Tostig was opposed by Earl Morcar who had displaced him as Earl of Northumbria. ==Background== The Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor died on 5 January 1066 without an heir.〔David C. Douglas. William the Conqueror. pp. 181.〕 The only surviving member of the royal family was Edgar, the young son of Edward Ætheling. On the day of King Edward's funeral, 6 January, Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, rushed to London, where he was crowned king in the Abbey of Saint Peter of Westminster, or Westminster Abbey by Aldred, Archbishop of York.〔Barlow. Edward the Confessor. pp. 244–245.〕 Although Harold Godwinson usurped the throne by passing over Edgar, David C. Douglas has indicated that at least one chronicler viewed him as a legitimate king. However, two powerful earls, brothers Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria, challenged his authority. Sources indicate that Harold moved north to confront them; however, in the end he secured their loyalty by marrying their sister, Edith, the widow of Griffith of Wales. By securing the loyalty of Edwin and Morcar, Godwinson increased his strength in the north. These men were, in fact, the first barrier between Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada.〔David C. Douglas. William the Conqueror. pp. 182-3.〕 Tostig, the exiled brother of Godwinson, also felt he had a claim to the English throne. During his exile, he lived in Flanders, whence, according to the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', he invaded in May 1066 against his brother.〔〔Anglo Saxon Chronicle. MS C. 1066.〕 At Sandwich Tostig is said to have enlisted and impressed sailors.〔〔 He then sailed north, where he battled Edwin, the Earl of Mercia. After a quick defeat at the mouth of the Humber, he arrived in Scotland under the protection of King Malcolm of Scotland. Later he met and made a pact with Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, whereby he agreed to support Hardrada in his invasion of England.〔〔 The medieval historian Orderic Vitalis has a different version of this story; he says that Tostig travelled to Normandy to enlist the help of William, Duke of Normandy.〔Woods. Dark Ages. pp. 233–238.〕〔Barlow, The Godwins, Chapter 5: The Lull Before the Storm.〕〔Vitalis. The Ecclesiastical history of England and Normandy. Volume i. Bk. III Ch. 11. pp. 461–465.〕 Then, as William was not ready to get involved at that stage, Tostig sailed from the Cotentin Peninsula, but because of storms ended up in Norway, and made his pact with Harald Hardrada there.〔Barlow. The Godwins. pp. 134–135.〕〔 Whether in Normandy or Scotland, it is certain that Tostig allied himself with Hardrada, where they fought side by side at the Battle of Fulford. Tostig was a useful ally for Hardrada not only because he was the brother of his adversary but also because he knew the terrain.〔David C. Douglas. William the Conqueror. pp. 189-190.〕 Hardrada, like Tostig, William of Normandy, and King Harold Godwinson, was another claimant to the throne. Hardrada set sail for England in September 1066, picking up supplies in the Orkneys and was reinforced with Tostig, who brought soldiers and ships. They sailed together along the River Ouse towards the city of York.〔 In Orderic Vitalis' version it says that in the month of August Hardrada and Tostig set sail across the wide sea with a favourable wind and landed in Yorkshire.〔Vitalis. Ecclesiastical History. p. 480.〕 They arrived at the mouth of the Humber on 18 September. Having disembarked from their ships, their armies quickly moved towards York. On 20 September 1066, they were confronted by Godwinson's earls, Edwin and Morcar.〔David C. Douglas. William the Conqueror. pp. 193.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Fulford」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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