71 
the enemy were overthrown. But, after a long contest, the English 
were unable to withstand the attacks of the Norwegians, and fled with 
great loss ; and more were drowned in the river than slain in the field. 
The Norwegians remained masters of the field, and having taken one 
hundred and fifty hostages from York, and leaving there one hundred 
and fifty of their own men as hostages, they went to their ships. Five 
days afterwards, that is, on Monday, the 7th of the kalends of October 
(25th September), as Harold, king of the English, was coming to YorJc^ 
with many thousand well-armed fighting men, he fell in with the 
Norwegians at a place called Stamford-bridge, slew King Harold and 
'Earl Tosti, with the greater part of their army, and gained a complete 
victory ; nevertheless the battle was stoutly contested," 
What, then, do we learn from these accounts ? Florence 
of Worcester tells us that the place the Norwegians landed 
at on the Ouse was " Richale." 
Simeon of Durham does the same — "Up the river Ouse, 
at a place called Richale." Peter Langtoft, a Yorkshireman 
himself, gives us more exact information — "En le braz de 
Ouse suth Rychale "in an arme of Ouse suth Ricall lai." 
Roger of Hovenden (or Howden, in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood), says, "They take and leave also from York one 
hundred and fifty hostages, and return to their ships" 
Geofirey Gaimar fixes the locality more closely — " From the 
Humber they went to the Ouse, and disembarked at St. 
Wilfrid's " (Petrie notes this as Bray ton, where is St. 
Wilfrid's church, and gives the number of their ships as 
four hundred and seventy). The "Kronicle Danmarkts 
Kigis," printed a.d. 1652, says, "It sted heeder Pdcale." 
This Danish Kronicle also states that they took one hundred 
and fifty hostages from York and "drog saa til Stibs igien." 
It also agrees with the English, that it was five days after, 
that as Harold Godwinson was coming " til Eboract " (" til " 
towards York) he fought with Harold of Norway and Tosti, 
at " Strand for bry gge." 
The Saxon Chronicle, — indeed all authorities, — unite in 
