Note 1517 — Chapter XVI · THE INTERREGNUM.[1503] October 15–December 25, 1066.

As I before said, there is no trustworthy evidence as to Waltheof’s presence or absence at Senlac. A priori, it is about equally strange if he stayed away and if, being there, he came back alive. Snorro, who still calls Waltheof Harold’s brother, unhesitatingly takes him to the battle; “Þar voró þá med Haralldi brædor hans Sveinn (!) oc Gyrdir oc Valþiófr Jarl.” (Johnstone, p. 218; Laing, iii. 95.) But he goes on to give an account of an exploit of Waltheof after the battle, the burning of a hundred Normans who had taken shelter in a wood, which seems to be transferred from Waltheof’s doings at York in 1068. See above, p. 372.