2. An old version of a
modern thing
―The Bayeux Tapestry is a very old version
of what we are apt to think of as a modern
thing. It is a strip-cartoon, one of the
earliest and certainly the greatest that is
known to us and it was made within a few
years of the tremendous historical event it
records: the Norman invasion of England,
which took place just nine centuries ago.‖
Source: Denny, Norman and Josephine Filmer-Sankey. The Bayeux Tapestry. New York: Atheneum, 1966.
3. Look at your map
This tapestry depicts the Norman conquest of Britain and more specifically,
The Battle of Hastings in 1066.
What do you think I mean by the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066?
Where is Normandy?
Where is Britain?
Where is Hastings (where the battle was fought)
Where is Bayeux (where the tapestry winds up)
4. The Characters
Edward the Confessor, King of
Britain (i.e., THE DEAD KING)
5. The Characters
Harold, Earl of Wessex
Edward’s brother in law
(THE VILLAIN)
(a renowned warrior, great and
powerful, he’s always depicted as
dignified, holding a hawk)
7. The Story
―We are dealing with a very old story buried deep in the past. And if
you are to understand the story you must carry your imagination back
into the past – to that remote medieval world in which chivalry and
barbarism were so strangely mingled.‖
Chivalry: having to do with the behavior and conduct of knights
Barbarism: a brutal, savage act
Source: Denny, Norman and Josephine Filmer-Sankey. The Bayeux Tapestry. New York: Atheneum, 1966.
8. The Tapestry
Not really a tapestry at all….
a tapestry would have been
made on a loom like this:
Rather, it was a piece of embroidery (needlework)… stitched in woolen
threads. ―The designer may have drawn them first….on the linen strip,
which he then handed over to the craftsmen (or women) who did the
embroidering. It is an immense work. The strip of linen is two hundred
and thirty feet long and twenty inches wide.‖
Sources:
Denny, Norman and Josephine Filmer-Sankey. The Bayeux Tapestry. New York: Atheneum, 1966.
Illustration of a tapestry loom. ―Tapestry.‖ Wikipedia. 03 January 2011.
9. The Story
―England's king, Edward the Confessor,
was about to die without an heir. The big
question: Who would succeed him —
Harold, an English nobleman and the
king's brother-in-law, or William, duke of
Normandy and the king's cousin? Edward
chose William and sent Harold to
Normandy to give William the news.‖
Sources: Steves, Rick. “Bayeux’s Tapestry: Why It Matters.” RickSteves.com. 03 January 2012.
10. The Story
―On the journey, Harold was captured. To
win his release, he promised he would be
loyal to William and not contest the
decision. To test his loyalty, William sent
Harold to battle for him in Brittany. Harold
was successful, and William knighted him.
To further test his loyalty, William had
Harold swear on the relics of the Bayeux
cathedral that when Edward died, he would
allow William to ascend the throne.‖
[But..]
―Harold returned to England, Edward
died...and Harold grabbed the throne.‖
Sources: Steves, Rick. “Bayeux’s Tapestry: Why It Matters.” RickSteves.com. 03 January 2012.
11. The Story
―William, known as William the Bastard,
sailed with his army across the channel
and invaded England to claim the throne
he reasoned was rightfully his. Harold met
him in southern England at the town of
Hastings, where their forces fought a fierce
14-hour battle (graphically depicted in the
tapestry, complete with rolling heads).
Sources: Steves, Rick. “Bayeux’s Tapestry: Why It Matters.” RickSteves.com. 03 January 2012.
12. The Story
―Harold was killed when a sharp arrow put
his eye out (ignoring every mother's
warnings), and his Saxon forces were
routed. William — now "the Conqueror" —
marched to London, claimed his throne,
and became king of England as well as
duke of Normandy.
Sources: Steves, Rick. “Bayeux’s Tapestry: Why It Matters.” RickSteves.com. 03 January 2012.
