Did Harold survive Hastings?

[Duncan Head]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-29612656

The Vita Haroldi mentioned is discussed at http://www.medievalhistory.net/page008b.htm. Marjorie Chibnall is quoted at http://www.secretsofthenormaninvasion.com/corresp/chibnall.htm as saying his survival is a 12th-century invention.

[Imperial Dave]

unlikely as it may seem, you have to admit its a great story! Echo's of Arthur here both in terms of surviving a battle and a potential claim to fame for an abbey looking for sponsors?

Just giving this twist a tiny little bit of "what if", the royal household soldiery it is alleged did fight a rearguard action at the Malfosse. That could have allowed a wounded Harold time to escape and also arrange for a swap of clothing and a hacking up of a substitute body...

But of course its all nonsense, isnt it? 

[Mark G]

And napoleon became an American bee keeper

And Elvis works at the supermarket in south Dunedin

[Erpingham]

Owain Glyndwr's death was never recorded.  Does he await to wake again in Wales' darkest hour?

Edward II apparently fled the country in disguise and became a hermit. 

Could a pattern of romantic yearning be apparent?

[Duncan Head]

And Elvis works at the supermarket in south Dunedin

Not the supermarket, surely - there's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis.

The story did renmind me of the one about Edward II surviving his "murder" - is the Fieschi Letter any more convincing than the Vita Haroldi?

(I see Anthony's beaten me to that one.) "Romantic yearning" is more appropriate to the various "sleeping kings" who will wake in their country's hour of need - Arthur, Frederick Barbarossa, Sebastian I. I don't think anyone ever expected Harold or Edward II to come back and save us.

[Erpingham]

There is another sub-genre of "didn't die in the way his enemies said".  Edward Bruce didn't have his head cut off and sent to Edward II - it was his Harper.  William of Julich (Flemish hero) didn't die how the French said he did because the body was someone else.

[Imperial Dave]

I don't think anyone ever expected Harold or Edward II to come back and save us.

That depends on whether you are English, Welsh or Scottish Duncan 

[Patrick Waterson]

If Harold did survive Hastings, one organisation apparently unaware of the fact was the Witanagemot, which promptly elected Edgar Atheling king.

[Jim Webster]

"Romantic yearning" is more appropriate to the various "sleeping kings" who will wake in their country's hour of need - Arthur, Frederick Barbarossa, Sebastian I. I don't think anyone ever expected Harold or Edward II to come back and save us.

They won't need to, between them Arthur and Drake have it covered

Jim

[Jim Webster]

If Harold did survive Hastings, one organisation apparently unaware of the fact was the Witanagemot, which promptly elected Edgar Atheling king.

Might just have been a coup against the legitimate king 

Jim

[Imperial Dave]

If Harold did su ;Drvive Hastings, one organisation apparently unaware of the fact was the Witanagemot, which promptly elected Edgar Atheling king.

Might just have been a coup against the legitimate king 

Jim

More like a 'hospital pass' if you ask me Jim!

[Martin Smith]

And Elvis works at the supermarket in south Dunedin

Not the supermarket, surely - there's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis.

.....but he's a liar (sez Kirsty MacColl)

[Mark G]

How many Spartacus' were there?

[Sharur]

And does the timing of this story relate to the re-broadcast of the BBC's dramatised version of Alan Garner's "Weirdstone of Brisingamen" on Sunday (12 Oct) on Radio 4 Extra? 

For anyone unfamiliar, the basis of Weirdstone is the real-world legend of a magically-preserved sleeping cavalry force beneath Alderley Edge in Cheshire, which may or may not have been led by Arthur.

[aligern]

There is a breed of person you meet on some wargames sites and Yahoo lists.  They specialise in their being no evidence something and any concession in the argument is treated as you have admitted their case. The Harold survival case is a classic theme for one of these types. Pointing out that William sent in a cutting out party, Harold's injuries were recorded, William brought in Harold's mistress to identify the corpse, no later rebellion, including Harold's sons ever claimed that he was alive as a candidate...........all of this will be refuted by it showing that William did not have Harold's body so all these tales prove that the Norman propaganda machine was working overtime to discredit the truth.

Harold died and William dispossessed the English aristocracy with consequences in the English class system that are with us to this day. It is risible when the Scots or the Welsh or the Irish claim oppression by the English....its the Normans and by and large it still is.

Roy