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The Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres (230 feet) long and 50 centimetres (20 inches) tall that depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William, Duke of Normandy challenging Harold II, King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. It is thought to date to the 11th century, within a few years of the battle. Now widely accepted to have been made in England perhaps as a gift for William, it tells the story from the point of view of the conquering Normans and for centuries has been preserved in Normandy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry
THE PEOPLE DEPICTED
- 'Ælfgifu' aka Emma of Normandy Ælfgifu, a woman of uncertain identity, but most likely to be Edward's mother
UBI UNUS CLERICUS ET ÆLFGYVA (Where a cleric and Ælfgyva)
STIGANT ARCHIEP(ISCOPU)S (Archbishop Stigand)
Queen Edith is one of only three women who are depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry
Edward the Confessor sends Harold to Normandy and then welcomes him back, a lot less pleased.
The messengers with Guy I, Count of Ponthieu, with a portrayal of medieval agriculture in the border
Harold going to William where he swears an oath to William , Duke of Normandy, on two reliquaries
HIC RESIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORUM. STIGANT ARCHIEP(I)S(COPUS). (Here sits King Harold of the English and the Archbishop Stigand). Scene immediately after crowning - possibly contrary to Harald's oath given at Bayeux to William Duke of Normandy to be his vassal.
HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST (Here King Harold is slain)
- Leofwine Godwinson and his brother Gyrth Godwinson
- Scolland
- Turold
HIC EST WADARD (Here is Wadard)
William instructs Harold to swears an oath to him and HIC EST WILLEL(MUS) DUX (Here is Duke William) Duke William lifts his helmet to be recognized on the battlefield of Hastings.
- Vital
THE STORY
- Don't miss this wonderful animation or
- This delightfully detailed blow by blow by Merlin Doug Larson of what everyone is doing / wearing/ building in the tapestry, including excellent descriptions of uniforms, weaponry and battle tactics. (I've saved the latter website pgs into the project documentation, in case anyone battles to get into the website.)
The protagonist of the Bayeux Tapestry is William the Conqueror - the illegitimate child of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy, who inherited his father’s title when he was killed during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
The first section of scenes illustrate the events leading to the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings
- The tapestry opens in 1064 with the heirless Edward the Confessor, king of England, talking to his brother-in-law Harold, Earl of Wessex, former Earl of East Anglia and brother to Edith of Essex, Edward's wife.
- After riding to Bosham Church, Harold Godwinson and his knights journey by sea to Normandy and the wind in their sails carries them to the land of Guy, the Count of Ponthieu, who promptly seizes Harold and holds him at Beaurain.
- Duke William dispatches messengers (including a man called Turold, who appears to be a dwarf dressed as an entertainer) to secure Harold's release, and the count hands him over to William, Duke of the Normans.
- Duke William takes Harold to his palace, where the questionable behaviour of an Englishwoman called Aelfgyva with a certain cleric is either discussed, or is actually occurring.
- Harold travels with Duke William and his army to the Mount of Michael where they cross the river Couesnon, and a very butch Earl Harold has to drag some of William’s men out of the quicksand - two at a time, while still holding his heavy shield.
- When they arrive at Dol, Conan, Duke of Brittany takes flight to Rennes, then Dinan, where he capitulates and passes out the keys of the town.
- William honours Harold Godwinson with a gift of arms and then Harold is depicted as swearing an oath to William.
- Harold returns to England and talks apologetically to King Edward the Confessor, who looks less than pleased.
- King Edward the Confessor dies, with his trusted men around him (including, possibly, Robert fitzWimarc who holds him up, and Archbishop Stigand, who will later swear that Edward's death bed wishes were for Harold succeed him) and his wife, Edith, hovering in the background, somewhere near his feet. They carry his body out to St Peter's Church (Westminster Abbey) that Edward was building, and Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England on 6th January 1066.
The second section of scenes illustrate the preparations and the Norman Invasion fleet
- Duke William, who believes he should be King of England, plans the Norman invasion with his half brother, Bishop Odo of Bayeux. Ships are loaded with weapons. armour, food and drink. The invasion fleet, led by Duke William, crosses the channel. Horses, weapons and soldiers are illustrated. Pre-built wooden castles are also loaded on the ships.
The third section of scenes illustrate the events of the Battle of Hastings
- On 28th September 1066 the fleet lands at Pevensey in England. A feast is prepared attended by Duke William and his nobles and Bishop Odo is shown saying grace.
- A Motte and Bailey castle is built at Hastings.
- On 14th October 1066 Duke William is depicted in full armour, about to mount his horse. The Norman cavalry rides off to fight the English led by King Harold.
- King Harold is shown getting ready to fight the Normans.
- The Battle of Hastings begins and the tapestry shows the English and Norman soldiers with their armour and weapons fighting. Some lie dead and the tapestry shows slaughtered soldiers and horses.
- The Normans are shown killing King Harold who is first shot with an arrow in his eye and then hacked to death by Norman soldiers, and the Normans win victory over the English at the Battle of Hastings.
https://www.lordsandladies.org/bayeux-tapestry.htm
Bayeux Tapestry tituli
- 1 EDWARD[US][nb 2] REX King Edward
- 2-3 UBI HAROLD DUX ANGLORUM ET SUI MILITES EQUITANT AD BOSHAM ECCLESIA[M] Where Harold, a leader of the English, and his knights ride to Bosham Church[12]
- 4 HIC HAROLD MARE NAVIGAVIT Here Harold sailed by sea
- 5 ET VELIS VENTO PLENIS VENIT IN TERRA WIDONIS COMITIS and with sails filled with wind came to the land of Count Wido[nb 3]
- 6 HAROLD Harold
- 7 HIC APPREHENDIT WIDO HAROLDU[M] Here Wido seized Harold
- 8 ET DUXIT EUM AD BELREM ET IBI EUM TENUIT and led him to Beaurain and held him there
- 9 UBI HAROLD ⁊[nb 4] WIDO PARABOLANT Where Harold and Wido confer
- 10 UBI NUNTII WILLELMI DUCIS VENERUNT AD WIDONE[M] Where the messengers of Duke William came to Wido
- TUROLD Turold[nb 5]
- 11 NUNTII WILLELMI The messengers of William
- 12 † HIC VENIT NUNTIUS AD WILGELMUM DUCEM †[nb 6] Here the messenger comes to Duke William
- 13 HIC WIDO ADDUXIT HAROLDUM AD WILGELMUM NORMANNORUM DUCEM Here Wido led Harold to William Duke of the Normans
- 14 HIC DUX WILGELM[US] CUM HAROLDO VENIT AD PALATIU[M] SUU[M] Here Duke William comes with Harold to his palace
- 15 UBI UNUS CLERICUS ET ÆLFGYVA Where a cleric and Ælfgyva ... [nb 7]
- 16 HIC WILLEM[US] DUX ET EXERCITUS EIUS VENERUNT AD MONTE[M] MICHAELIS Here Duke William and his army came to the Mount of Michael
- 17 ET HIC TRANSIERUNT FLUMEN COSNONIS and here they crossed the river Couesnon
- HIC HAROLD DUX TRAHEBAT EOS DE ARENA Here earl Harold dragged them from the sand
- 18 ET VENERUNT AD DOL ET CONAN FUGA VERTIT and they came to Dol and Conan turned in flight
- REDNES Rennes
- 19 HIC MILITES WILLELMI DUCIS PUGNANT CONTRA DINANTES Here the knights of Duke William fight against the men of Dinan
- 20 ET CUNAN CLAVES PORREXIT and Conan passed out the keys
- 21 HIC WILLELM[US] DEDIT ARMA HAROLDO Here William gave arms to Harold
- 22 HIE [sic][nb 8] WILLELM[US] VENIT BAGIAS Here William came to Bayeux
- 23 UBI HAROLD SACRAMENTUM FECIT WILLELMO DUCI Where Harold made an oath to Duke William
- 24 HIC HAROLD DUX REVERSUS EST AD ANGLICAM TERRAM Here earl Harold returned to English land
- 25 ET VENIT AD EDWARDU[M] REGEM and he came to King Edward
- 26 HIC PORTATUR CORPUS EADWARDI REGIS AD ECCLESIAM S[AN]C[T]I PETRI AP[OSTO]LI Here the body of King Edward is carried to the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle[nb 9]
- 27 HIC EADWARDUS REX IN LECTO ALLOQUIT[UR] FIDELES Here King Edward in bed speaks to his faithful followers
- 28 ET HIC DEFUNCTUS EST and here he died
- 29 HIC DEDERUNT HAROLDO CORONA[M] REGIS Here they gave the king's crown to Harold
- 30 HIC RESIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORUM Here sits Harold King of the English
- 31 STIGANT ARCHIEP[ISCOPU]S Archbishop Stigand
- 32 ISTI MIRANT[UR] STELLA[M] These people marvel at the star[nb 10]
- 33 HAROLD Harold
- 34 HIC NAVIS ANGLICA VENIT IN TERRAM WILLELMI DUCIS Here an English ship came to the land of Duke William
- 35 HIC WILLELM[US] DUX JUSSIT NAVES [A]EDIFICARE Here Duke William ordered ships to be built
- 36 HIC TRAHUNT NAVES AD MARE Here they drag the ships to the sea
- 37 ISTI PORTANT ARMAS AD NAVES ET HIC TRAHUNT CARRUM CUM VINO ET ARMIS These men carry arms to the ships and here they drag a cart (laden) with wine and arms
- 38 † HIC WILLELM[US] DUX IN MAGNO NAVIGIO MARE TRANSIVIT ET VENIT AD PEVENESÆ †[nb 6] Here Duke William in a great ship crossed the sea and came to Pevensey
- 39 HIC EXEUNT CABALLI DE NAVIBUS Here the horses leave the ships
- 40 ET HIC MILITES FESTINAVERUNT HESTINGA UT CIBUM RAPERENTUR and here the knights have hurried to Hastings to seize food
- 41 HIC EST WADARD Here is Wadard[nb 11]
- 42 HIC COQUITUR CARO ET HIC MINISTRAVERUNT MINISTRI Here the meat is being cooked and here the servants have served (it)
- 43 HIC FECERUN[T] PRANDIUM Here they have a meal
- ET HIC EPISCOPUS CIBU[M] ET POTU[M] BENEDICIT And here the bishop blesses the food and drink
- 44 ODO EP[ISCOPU]S WILLEM[US] ROTBERT Bishop Odo, William, Robert
- 45 ISTE JUSSIT UT FODERETUR CASTELLUM AT HESTENGA[nb 12] He ordered that a motte should be dug at Hastings
- CEASTRA[nb 13] the camp
- 46 HIC NUNTIATUM EST WILLELM[O] DE HAROLD[O] Here William was told about Harold
- 47 HIC DOMUS INCENDITUR Here a house is burned
- 48 HIC MILITES EXIERUNT DE HESTENGA ET VENERUNT AD PR[O]ELIUM CONTRA HAROLDUM REGE[M] Here the knights have left Hastings and have come to the battle against King Harold
- 49 HIC WILLELM[US] DUX INTERROGAT VITAL[EM] SI VIDISSET HAROLDI EXERCITU[M] Here Duke William asks Vital[nb 14] if he has seen Harold's army
- 50 ISTE NUNTIAT HAROLDUM REGE[M] DE EXERCITU WILLELMI DUCIS This messenger tells King Harold about Duke William's army
- 51 HIC WILLELM[US] DUX ALLOQUITUR SUIS MILITIBUS UT PREPAREN[T] SE VIRILITER ET SAPIENTER AD PR[O]ELIUM CONTRA ANGLORUM EXERCITU[M] Here Duke William speaks to[nb 15] his knights to prepare themselves manfully and wisely for the battle against the army of the English
- 52 HIC CECIDERUNT LEWINE ET GYRD FRATRES HAROLDI REGIS Here fell Leofwine and Gyrth, brothers of King Harold
- 53 HIC CECIDERUNT SIMUL ANGLI ET FRANCI IN PR[O]ELIO Here English and French fell at the same time in battle
- 54 HIC ODO EP[ISCOPU]S BACULU[M] TENENS CONFORTAT PUEROS Here Bishop Odo, holding a club, gives strength to the boys
- 55 HIC EST WILLEL[MUS] DUX Here is Duke William
- 56 E[USTA]TIUS Eustace
- HIC FRANCI PUGNANT ET CECIDERUNT QUI ERANT CUM HAROLDO Here the French are fighting and have killed those who were with Harold
- 57 HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST Here King Harold was slain
- 58 ET FUGA VERTERUNT ANGLI[nb 16] and the English have turned in flight
Conflicting Interpretations of Eight Fables
Just as the central frieze of the Bayeux Embroidery depicts Harold dux Anglorum and his “milites” leaving a second-story banquet hall at Bosham, boarding ship, and sailing out to sea, the lower border shows the first in an uninterrupted series of Aesopian fables, the last of which appears just as the English reach land and are captured by a lord called Guy (W4-8; Figs 2–4). Previous writers on the embroidery are generally agreed that the series includes eight fables, referred to here as the “canonical” eight to distinguish them from other fables also represented but rarely if ever noticed. They can be summarized as follows. In Fox and Crow – which reappears first in the lower border, after Harold meets with William, duke of the Normans (W18; Fig. 9), and then in the upper one, as he returns to England (W27–8; Fig. 14) – the crow found a piece of cheese, but the fox tricked him into dropping it and ate it himself (W4; Plate III; Fig. 2). The wolf in Wolf and Lamb met the lamb drinking from a stream and made false charges against him, which the lamb rebutted. But the wolf ate him anyway (W4; Plate III; Fig. 2). Bitch and Puppies – which the lower border shows again, shortly before the Battle of Hastings (W59–60; Fig. 29) – tells how one bitch loaned her lair to another who was pregnant and later allowed her to keep it until her puppies were older. When she returned a second time, the other bitch drove her away (W4–5; Plate III; Fig. 2). In Wolf and Crane – which is repeated in the upper border, as Harold returns to England (W27; Fig. 14) – the wolf promised a reward to the crane for extracting a bone from his throat. After she removed the bone and claimed her reward, however, he denied her (W5; Plate III; Fig. 2).In Lion King, the lion swore not to eat meat, but later devoured his subjects one by one (W5–6; Fig. 3). In Frog, Mouse, and Kite, the frog agreed to help the mouse cross a river – and then drowned him by tying one of his legs to one of hers and dragging him down to the river bottom.
White, Stephen7 - The Fables in the Borders in The Bayeux Tapestry and Its Contexts A Reassessment , pp. 154 - 182 Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Print publication year: 2014
Resources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry_tituli
- https://heraldictimes.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/the-plot-of-the-baye...
- https://fmg.ac/publications/journal/vol-7a/394-fnd7-03
- https://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/discover-the-ba...
- https://www.angelfire.com/mb2/battle_hastings_1066/bayeux_tapestry/...
- https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55614/55614-h/55614-h.htm#IV_THE_KN...
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03044181.2024.2324055#...
- https://www.lordsandladies.org/bayeux-tapestry.htm
- https://thehistoryjar.com/tag/bayeux-tapestry/
- https://beforethesecondsleep.wordpress.com/tag/1066-the-hidden-hist...
- https://history.blog.gov.uk/2016/01/05/the-death-of-edward-the-conf...