Battle of Mortimers Cross 2nd Feb 1461
When Edward, earl of March, heard of the disaster at Wakefield he decided to move east to link-up with Warwick in London. During his movement he became aware of a Lancastrian force located in central Wales. Edward decided to change direction and engage the enemy. His army of mostly Welshmen routed the Lancastrian army of mercenaries from France and Ireland and Welshmen. After the battle Edward continued his march east to join Warwick near London; within two months he would be crowned king.
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However tranquil the place, nature still had some tricks to play. On the morning of the battle, no less than three suns were seen to rise in the West behind the Yorkist army.
This caused some dismay among its soldiers. We now know this phenomenon as "parhelion" or "parhelia", which is caused by refraction when there is some mist in the air close to the horizon. Edward went down on his knees to give thanks to God for this sign that the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost were coming to the aid of the Yorkist cause.
Although not noticeably superstitious himself, he understood the fears of his men, and chose this method to reassure them.
After the battle, he adopted the sun and its rays as one of his emblems.
The Yorkists were victorious, Jasper Tudor fled, while Owen Tudor was captured and executed and many other Welshmen were slain, possibly as many as 4,000 according to some accounts. The victory paved the way for Edward's crowning later in the year.
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