De victoria regis Haraldi per beati regis merita.
Harold's Perilous Usurpation
Harold seizes the kingdom sworn to William, and God raises up the Norwegian king and his own exiled brother Tostig to oppose him.
Meanwhile Harold, the son of Godwin, was irreverently seizing for himself the kingdom that, by the terms of a sacred oath, he should have kept for William, the cousin of King Edward — a kingdom that was owed to him neither by right of debt nor by nature — and in doing so he hastened the ruin that the Lord, through the holy king's oracle, had prepared for the English as the penalty for breaking their pledge and faith. But so that he might be defeated more easily by the enemies he had unjustly provoked — their strength now weakened — God raised up against him from the north: Harold, surnamed Harfaw, king of the Norwegians, and Tostig his own brother, whom he himself had driven out of England and who was living in exile in Flanders during the time of King Edward.
The Northern Invasion
The Norwegian and English exiles sail up the Humber and defeat the Northumbrian army before York.
They sailed with a great fleet up the Humber, hurrying toward York; and when they had met the army of the Northumbrians in battle, they won a victory and inflicted great slaughter on those who stood against them.
Edward's Dream and Promise
Blessed Edward appears in a dream to Abbot Alwy, promising to lead Harold's army and commanding the abbot to reveal a secret as proof of the vision's truth.
When these things were reported to Harold, he gathered a large army from every corner of England. Then, on a certain night, blessed Edward appeared in a dream to a devout abbot named Alwy, who governed the monastery at Ramsey. The holy man was struck with awe at the majesty of the one who appeared, but Edward gently comforted him: 'Go,' he said, 'and tell Harold that he should confidently advance against the men who are invading the borders of this kingdom against all right and justice. I will be the leader and protector of his army, for I cannot fail the justice of this people — the justice through which he will gain the victory over his enemy.' And so that your words would not lose credibility, reveal to him the secret of your heart — so that when you tell him what no other person knew you were turning over in your mind, he will attribute this not to your own invention but to my promise.
The Abbot's Secret Suffering
The abbot endures bodily pain in silence through the night, fearing to discourage his men or invite mockery, yet trusting in God's help.
During the night that followed, when he was tormented by pain — even though the coming trouble pressed heavily on him — he kept silent, reasoning with himself that if he made his suffering known, it would bring contempt on his own men and give his enemies reason to mock. He said these things to himself — but now, since his health was returning as the illness receded, relying on my help, let him take up just war against the barbarians and rescue his fellow countrymen from the danger hanging over them.
The Prophecy Delivered
The abbot rises, delivers Edward's prophecy to Harold, and reveals the secret as commanded, filling Harold with wonder.
Rising from his sleep, the venerable man went to Harold, delivered the prophecy, and — so that hesitation would not steal it away — revealed the secret that the holy one had commanded to be kept hidden, while Harold himself marveled greatly.
Victory at Stamford Bridge
Emboldened by the heavenly promise, Harold defeats and kills both enemy kings at Stamford Bridge, fulfilling the saint's earlier prophecy.
Then, emboldened by the heavenly promise, he advanced with a strong force all the way to the province of York. At a place then called Steinfordebrigge, but now known as 'Bridge of Battle' from what happened there, he met the enemies. Once battle was joined, each leader was overthrown — that is, the king of the Norwegians and Tostig, the brother of the English king, his own brother — and their entire army was almost completely destroyed. And so what he had foretold long before about the two brothers when they were still boys, and what the holy man had promised in a recent vision, were both fulfilled together by Harold's victory — something no one thinking clearly could doubt.
Read the original Latin
Interea Haraldus, Godwini filius, regnum quod secundum fidem sacramenti debuerat servasse Willielmo regis Edwardi consobrino, sibi nec jure debitum nec natura, irreverenter usurpans, malum quod Anglis secundum sancti regis oraculum Dominus praeparaverat, transgressione pacti et fidei acceleravit laesione. Ut autem attenuatis viribus facilius ab his quos injuste provocaverat hostibus vinceretur, suscitavit ei a parte aquilonis inimicos, Haraldum, cognomento Harfau, Norwagenorum regem, et Tostinum fratrem suum quem de Anglia ipse expulerat, et tempore regis Edwardi exsulabat in Flandria. Hi cum magna classe per Humbrum ad Eboracum properantes, cum exercitum Northanhimbrorum praelio excepissent, potiti victoria magnam de obsistentibus stragem dederunt. Haec ubi Haraldo nuntiata sunt, exercitum copiosum ex omnibus finibus Angliae collegit, cum nocte quadam abbati cuidam religioso qui Ramesiensi praeerat monasterio, Alxi nomine, beatus Edwardus in somnis apparuit, Cujus cum majestatem vir sapiens expavisset, ille blande consolatus hominem: «Vade, inquit, et dic Haraldo ut homines qui contra jus et fas regni hujus fines invadunt aggrediatur secure, ego enim ero dux et protector exercitus, quoniam justitiae hujus gentis deesse non possum, per quem reportabit vice hac de hoste triumphum. Et ne verbis tuis fidem deroget secretum ei sui cordis ostende ut cum ei [quod] nullo conscio mente volvebat edixeris, non haec tuae adinventioni sed meae promissioni ascribat. Nocte quidem praeterita cum dolore torqueretur, licet eum non parum urgeret molestia imminens, siluit tamen, reputans apud se si publicaret languorem, quod et suis futurus esset contemptui et hostibus irrisioni. Haec secum, verum quia nunc sanitate succedente languori ab illa peste convaluit, de meo praesumens auxilio, contra barbaros justum bellum suscipiat, et ab imminenti periculo suos compatriotas eripiat.» Exsurgens a somnis vir venerandus adiit Haraldum, exponit oraculum, et ne subriperet haesitatio, secretum illud quod sanctus jusserat operiri ipso multum admirante reseravit.
Tunc ille coelesti promissione factus audacior, in manu valida usque ad provinciam Eboracensem progrediens, in loco qui tunc Steinfordebrigge, nunc autem ex rei eventu etiam Pons belli dicitur, hostes offendit: consertoque praelio dux uterque prosternitur, rex videlicet Norwagenorum et frater proprius Anglici regis Tostinus, peneque totus eorum deletus est exercitus. Itaque quod de duobus fratribus adhuc pueris longe ante praedixerat, et quod recenti visione vir sanctus promiserat, una Haraldi victoria completum esse nemo qui ambigat.
Aelred of Rievaulx, Vita Sancti Edwardi Regis et Confessoris companion
Keep praying with the saints after Day 7
The Chosen Portion app serves a short historic devotional reading and prayer every morning — free on iOS
Aelred wrote Edward's life so ordinary believers could imitate a king's daily devotion; Chosen Portion delivers that same vita in short daily portions on your phone.
- A 5-minute daily reading from texts like Aelred's, in modern English
- 78+ complete historic works, searchable by theme and era
- Set one reminder and keep an unbroken 7-day-a-week practice