Guillaume of Jumièges

By the will of God, Edward, King of the English, had no heir, so he had sent
Robert, Archbishop of Canterbury, to Duke William to appoint him heir to the
kingdom of England. Later he also sent Harold, the most powerful English earl,
to confirm the promise that Duke William would become King of England and to
swear his loyalty to the Duke. However, at the beginning of his mission, Harold
was captured by Guy, Count of Abbeville, who threw Harold and his men into
prison. When Duke William heard this he sent messengers ordering Guy to set
Harold free. Then Harold stayed with Duke William and promised his loyalty to
William as King of England.

At last King Edward died in the year of the Lord, 1065. Harold immediately
seized the Kingdom, breaking the promises he had sworn to Duke William. The
Duke sent messengers to Harold, urging him not to break his word but Harold
would not listen and turned all the English people against the Duke. At that time
a star appeared, its three-forked tail lighting up the southern sky for fifteen
days. Many said it was a sign of a great change in the kingdom.

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 Duke William saw how Harold increased his power each day. Therefore the
Duke hastily built a fleet of 3000 ships. The ships were anchored at Saint-
Valery and filled with mighty horses and strong men armed with hauberks and
helmets. Then, blown by a favourable wind, he crossed the sea and landed at
Pevensey where he immediately built a castle. He left some troops in charge of
it and speedily moved on to Hastings where he built another castle. Harold,
hurrying to take Duke William by surprise, gathered a huge army and rode
through the night, arriving at the battlefield at dawn.

The Duke had taken precautions against a night attack. At first light, he
arranged his army in three divisions and without any fear advanced against the
dreadful enemy. The battle began at the third hour and the slaughter continued
until the late evening. Harold, fighting in the front rank of his army, died covered
in wounds. When the English heard of their king’s death, they fled.

ACTIVITY

1 What impression of Harold do you get from paragraphs 1 and 2? Choose at

least two phrases to support your answer.

2 Guillaume does not mention the Norwegian invasion and the battles in the
north. Why do you think he left them out?

3 What do paragraphs 3 and 4 tell you about William as a leader?

4 Think about what Guillaume wrote. Choose two words to describe how he felt
about 1066. Which parts of his history would you choose to support your answer?

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