Having beaten back the threat of the Vikings and his own brother, it must have seemed inconceivable to Harold that he was gonna have to do it all over again within a week or two. It would not be easy, who could he call on? The bruised and battered remains of his army. It would be a long shot, but after Stamford Bridge perhaps Harold felt that he could actually trust his gambler's luck. Besides, William's public name-calling - Harold the Perjured, Harold the Oath Breaker, Harold the Perfidious - had made it personal now, a mortal duel. So let the hand of God decide who was the righteous party, who would prevail. Harold left London at full speed. He gathered what he could of a new army by an old grey apple tree, an ancient blasted tree that stood on a hill at the crossing of the track leading out of Hastings. There Harold planted his banner, "The Dragon of Wessex". The Normans called this place "Senlach", which means "Lake of Blood".


除掉维京人和自己弟弟的威胁后，对于哈罗德来说，要在一两周内，还要再次面对一场战争简直不可思议。这绝非易事，有谁可供他调配呢？那支刚历经大战的残兵余部吗？诚然机会渺茫，但是历经斯坦福桥一战，也许哈罗德认为他可以再赌一把。另外，威廉公开辱骂他是伪誓者哈罗德，食言者哈罗德，背信者哈罗德使战争开始针对个人，成为不共戴天的决战，将决定权交给上帝，让他来决定谁是正义的一方，谁是王者。哈罗德全速离开伦敦，他尽其所能招兵买马，在枯死的苹果树下召集了新的军队。那棵树早已枯萎，伫立在通往黑斯廷斯交叉口的山头上，在那里哈罗德竖起了他的旗帜，韦塞克斯之龙，诺曼人称这里是"瑟莱克" 意为血之湖。