Until recently, I didn't know that much about Harald Hardrada. Somehow I had never connected him with the Harald Hardrada of Sturluson's saga. (Yes. I just confessed that I'm a hopeless idiot. But really -- it's just that my brain has all these separate compartments and "Viking" and "Kings of England" are different and non-intersecting storage segments. Probably I need a reorganization plan.)

Hardrada was the berserker's berserker. To have defeated him as thoroughly as Harold did was just a magnificent accomplishment. And the poor man didn't even make it through the feasting before he was summoned south to face William.

To have crushed the vikings as thoroughly as Harold did at Stamford Bridge would have resounded in history, if not for all time at least for a thousand years, if only Hastings had not happened immediately thereafter.

I doubt that the Bastard would have lasted as King of the English if the Danes (yes yes Norwegians) had not been so thoroughly routed and destroyed. William owed much to Harold.