Harald Hardrada THE LAST VIKING
On the 25 September 1066 the leader of the viking invasion force, Harald Hardrada, was killed by an arrow to the throat fired by the armies of King Harold II. A mere three weeks later the Battle of Hastings would see the destiny of Britain changed forever, overshadowing the earlier conflict. In doing so, the life and legend of Harald Hardrada would be consigned to a footnote in the history classrooms of the United Kingdom, his successful competitor, William of Normandy, instead becoming the new ruler of Britain. Hardrada’s life, however, is not one which should be overlooked because of a single defeat. He was a brutal warrior, with scores of victories and conquests to his name. Don Hollway tells us Hardrada’s story and why he considers him to be ‘The Last Viking’.
Who was Harald Hardrada?
His full name was Harald Sigurdsson, or in Old Norse Sigurdarson. In later years he was nicknamed Hardrada, ‘Hard Ruler’, but nobody dared to call him that to his face. He was a real-life fantasy hero who travelled and fought all
