It was 950 years ago today

One of the most decisive days in human history.  The event that changed the course of human events, dragged England away from Scandinavia and dropped it firmly in the lap of northwestern European affairs, merged Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultures,  and laid the groundwork for what would help England emerge as one of the great powers of the world at just the right time and place.  Not bad for one obscure Duke who was ticked off for being overlooked when it came to naming King Edward’s successor.

For his part, I always feel a bit sorry for King Harold.  Crowned in 1066, dead by the end of the year.  It makes you think.  I’m not in for pop history books, but David Howarth’s “1066: The Year of Conquest” is a wonderful read.  You can polish it off in one setting.  I particularly enjoy it because he admits his biases, which is nice, but also because he tries to look at the momentous events from the point of view of the little people as well as the movers and shakers.   Picking the village of Horstede,  near the site of destiny, Howarth reminds us that history doesn’t tell us ahead of time when it’s getting ready to happen.

People whose fate is reduced in a history book to a simple ‘30,000 were slaughtered by the Mongols’ didn’t see it coming.  Just like those who were dead at Hastings.  Just like the 3000 who died on 9/11.  When they went to work, I’ll bet they had plans for that Tuesday evening.  Or that person who was killed in an auto accident on their way home on I-71.  One never knows what tomorrow will bring.   When I teach history, I tell people that the problem with history is that you have to wait for it to happen in order to study it.  By then, of course, it’s too late.  The good people of small, isolated Horstede didn’t know, in January 1066, that by the end of the year many of their men would be dead, their lands invaded and conquered, and their king killed in battle.  We never do see it coming.

As I said during the Olympics, we remember the 1936 Olympics because of the obvious reasons.  What we often don’t wait around for is the closing ceremonies, where the Olympic officials declared the games over and announced their hope for the upcoming 1940 Tokyo Olympics.  Of course there would be no 1940 Tokyo Olympics.  And there would be no 1944 Olympics.  Most youngsters would not be in the stadiums competing, but would be on the battlefield locked in a death struggle with one another.  Ten years after the 36 Olympics, we would be living under the threat of nuclear annihilation as over 60 million people who saw the games lay dead.

So think on that today.  950 years ago.  By this time in the day, the battle was done.  Harold was dead, according legend with an arrow through the eye.  William, called the Conqueror for good reason, was on his way to be crowned King of England.  The people of Horstede, and the rest of England, would experience horrible upheaval, suffering and death over the upcoming years.  On this day all those years ago, most hadn’t heard yet.  Within a year, they would all know first hand.  It makes you wonder what we will know in a year that we don’t know now.