Soldier's Journal

A Saxon Journal

Oct. 9, 1066

We just defeated Harald Hadraada’s troops we still can’t believe that it was so easy. Some of us were killed but we gained victory. We were still there relaxing after the battle when we suddenly got word that William, Duke of Normandy had burned and pillaged villages wanting to fight Harold Godwinson. We were forced to march right away.

Oct. 10, 1066

We have been marching for a day and we are a bit tired and hungry. Since Iam a housecarl, I have to carry really heavy armour, a heavy sword, and a battle axe, which, all together weighs around 20 kilos. It is all worth it because we are excited from the Battle at Stamford Bridge to fight another one to protect our country.

Oct. 11, 1066

We are still tired and hungry, we’ve only taken short breaks when needed, but they are no help to our condition. The soldiers are starting to lose their eagerness in fighting by marching such a long time, but I still won’t stop writing my journal.

Oct. 12, 1066

We are mostly half way back to London. I don’t know how we’ll make it, my hands are starting to grow tired from writing.

Oct. 14, 1066

We marched for 6 days quickly back to London. We were very tired and still have to block the Norman’s way to London with a fight.

We met them in Battle, England, we stopped on top of Senlac Hill so we could have an advantage with also our strong shield wall.

They were split into groups that I could recognize with the soldiers from Brittany on the right, the Norman soldiers in the middle, the lower country soldiers on the left, the archers in the front, and the cavalry in the back.

First, they tried to shoot arrows at us but we were too high up on the hill and they couldn’t hit us. Next the infantry came up to us to fight with their swords and spears. Shortly after that, the cavalry rode across the shield wall while we tried to hit them with our battle-axes. After that the soldiers of Brittany retreated and some of us came after them, and we were fools for doing that because when they stopped other Normans came up behind us and defeated them.

The rest of the Norman army got the same idea and in groups at different times “retreated” and we were still fools to follow them more and they slowly decreasing our numbers.

They made another plan and sent out their archers and placed them at the bottom of the hill even though they couldn’t get their arrows to us in the beginning, but I think they have something up their sleeves. Then they started shooting their arrow at us again not straight, but up into the air and the arrows started raining down on us and I saw many people get killed by them even Harold himself got killed by an arrow to the eye. I luckily fled and hid from the Normans.

Dec. 25, 1066

Today William, Duke of Normandy was crowned king of England.

(Duncan)