Meterological events affecting the course of wars - Battle of Mortimer's Cross 1461

[pandit-scholar]

As well as having an interest in meteorology, especially extreme weather events, I am also a part time historian, one of my interests being how meterological events helped to change the course of history.

One I found most interesting was the battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461 during the war of Roses fought between Lancastrian army, led by Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, and the Yorkist army led by Edward, Earl of March. A few months before the battle, the main Yorkist army was annihilated by the Lancastrian army, led by Margaret of Anjou (wife of Henry VI) with Edward's father, Richard, Duke of York, and his brother, the Earl of Rutland were brutally executed in the aftermath of the battle. The Yorkist cause seemed loss.

The 18 year old Edward, in a daring, and possibly, suicidal attempt, decided to block the Welsh Lancastrians, which heavily outnumbered his army, from joining up with Margaret of Anjou in her march towards London at Mortimer's Cross. What supposed to have happened next was remarkable. Just before the battle a "parhelion" or "sun dog", a rare meterological phenomenon, which gave the illusion of 3 suns in the sky appeared over Edward and his army's head. This caused great fear, but Edward persuaded his army that this showed that god favoured the 3 remaining sons of York (him and his brothers George and Richard). Morale collapsed at the sight of the "3 suns", and many of them fled the battle in fear, as obviously they felt they did not want to defy "god's word". Edward won a resounding victory and marched to London, and reached it before Margaret of Anjou did, and was declared as King Edward IV by the Londoners. A few months later, in April 1461, he secured his place of the throne by destroying the Lancastrian army at Townton, in the largest battle on English soil in history, a victory also arguably partly assisted by the weather.

Further details of the parhelion/sun dog at Mortimer's cross can be read on the following link:

http://www.decodedscience.com/the-mortimers-cross-parhelion-how-a-meteorological-phenomenon-changed-english-history/3437

Edited July 29, 2013 by pandit-scholar