The man on the bridge at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (1066) was a legendary Viking warrior who defended the narrow bridge over the River Derwent against the advancing English army led by King Harold Godwinson. Armed with a large axe, he is said to have held off the English forces alone, killing many soldiers before he was finally killed by an English warrior who floated underneath the bridge in a barrel (or small boat) and thrust a spear up through the planks.