Harold Hardrada was the King of Norway who was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. Before attempting to lay his claim to the throne of England, he and his Viking army had found employment with the Byzantine Empire. They were tasked with conquering Sicily. One city they laid siege to had massive walls around it and appeared impossible to capture. Harold noticed that each morning birds flew out of the city and into the nearby forest. And then returned to their nests in the evening. He had his men go in the forest and capture as many of the birds as possible. He then had twigs coated with wax and sulphur attached to them. That evening the twigs were set on fire and the birds were released. They immediately flew back to their nests in the attics of houses and started fires that spread through the city. The next day, the smoldering city surrendered.
– Fuller 431
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