Harold II (with an o)

Harold II or Harold Godwinson (1022-October 14 1066)

Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman Conquest and ruled the throne for a whopping nine months. He gained the crown when his predecessor, King Edward the Confessor, became sick in 1065, and fell into a coma without making clear his preference for the succession.

On January 5th, 1066, he died, but not before he briefly regained consciousness and commended his widow and the kingdom to Harold's protection. The intent of this order is sketchy at best, as is the Bayeux Tapestry, which simply shows the half conscious Edward pointing at a man thought to represent Harold. His suspiciously hasty coronation took place one day later and he was crowned king.

In early January of 1066, hearing that Harold had been crowned King of England, William, Duke of Normandy, or as he was affectionately called, William the Bastard, began plans to invade England. Initially William could not get support for the invasion, but claiming that Harold had sworn on sacred relics to support his claim to the throne, after having been shipwrecked together some years earlier with Harold. William was given the Church's blessing and was backed by the Nobles.

In anticipation of the invasion, Harold rallied his troops on the Isle of Wight, but claiming unfavorable winds, William’s invasion fleet remained in port. On September 8th, with provisions running out, Harold disbanded the army and he returned to London, one day too soon. On that very same day, Harald Hardrada, with an “a”, of Norway, who also claimed his right to the English crown, joined forces with William and invaded England, landing the fleet at the mouth of the Tyne, and a battle ensued, lasting 36 days.

The last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and, only the 3rd to die in battle, lay lifeless on a blood stained field near Hastings, an arrow through one eye, the other gouged out, and missing an arm and half a leg. William the Bastard of Normandy was now William the Conqueror of England. (Not sure what happened to Harald, with an “a”) His next, most immediate problem was to positively confirm that the corpse before him was indeed his fallen rival, and former shipwreck buddy, Harold II – a task also made quite difficult by the dead man’s horribly mutilated face.

The answer came in the shape of Edith Swan Neck, King Harold’s former long-time mistress and newlywed wife, who identified her dead husband by the words “Edith and England” tattooed across his chest, just one of many such tattoos on his body. And thus, Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England before the Norman Conquest, tattoo enthusiast, master of bad timing, became the first corpse to be identified by a tattoo.

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