ABSTRACT
Harald's victory at Fulford seems to have been fairly swift. This is hardly surprising, since the vikings were much more used to fighting together than the majority of the English forces. The Heimskringla saga purports to describe the deployments. The fighting took place on the left (east) bank of the Ouse, with armies confined between the river and the dyke. Edwine led the English right, opposite Harald, who raised his ‘Land-Waster’ raven banner. On the left, Morkere's Northumbrians opposed their hated former earl, Tostig, and seem to have begun the fighting with a violent attack upon his flank. After an initial success, a viking counter-attack broke the English line with heavy loss, many of the defeated drowning in the river as they tried to flee. Both earls escaped but their force was scattered, leaving York open to the invaders. The battle took place on 20 September; four days later the city submitted to King Harald.
