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Music It's September 1066 in the North Sea off the coast of England.

On the deck of a Viking long ship, Harold Hardrada gazes across the rolling waves.

The 50-year-old Hardrada is the king of Norway,

but he has ambitions to be far more. In the morning sun, a spit of land glitters on the horizon.

For more than 200 years, warriors from Norway have regularly attacked this part of England.

But this is no raiding party today. Instead, Hardrada commands a vast fleet of ships

filled with men, planning not just a raid, but to conquer England. And among his army,

he believes he has a secret weapon. Nine months ago, the English nobleman Tostig Godwinson

was sent into exile by his own brother. Since then, that same brother has been crowned King of England.

Now, Tostig is out for revenge, and Hardrata has promised to deliver it. Hardrata beckens Tosik

forward, and pointing towards shore, he asked if they've come to the right place. Tostig squints and

nods. It's the Humber estuary on the northeastern coast of England. This is where

the Viking invasion will begin. With a wave of his arm, Hedrata signals the ship's pilot to change

course, and behind him, 300 other long ships adjust their prows, each following in the king's wake.

As the coast draws near, Hardrata unsheaths his sword and raises it high above his

head. His warriors follow suit, the polished metal catching the light. Then the Vikings unleash a

blood-curdling war cry that rolls across the waves, promising no mercy to anyone who stands in their way.

Within days of landing in England,

...