On the 14 October , at Hastings, as battle was raging against the troops of William, who had come to reclaim his throne, Harold was killed in combat after being hit in the eye by an arrow, a symbol of punishment for his act of perjury.
He was crowned in and married Edith, daughter of the Count of Godwin and his Danish wife Gytha, as a way of seeking reconciliation with the Anglo-Danish clan. He remained very attached to Normandy, where he had spent 30 years in exile, when he was banished by the Danish conquerors.
In , in England and still childless, Edward naturally turned to William, his first cousin once removed, to succeed him on the throne. So he decided to send his brother-in-law Harold to Normandy to deliver his message to William….
Odo is one of the characters who is named several times in the Bayeux Tapestry. This leads to more degradation at the edges. It is also possible that when the tapestry was stored in the wooden chest mentioned above, the final scene s were laid on top, making them more vulnerable to damage.
In fact, we are lucky any of the Bayeux Tapestry survived at all! Most scholars believe the final scene s of the tapestry would have depicted the lead up to and the coronation of Duke William as king of England, as a fitting end to the story being told. It would also make sense from design a perspective: Gale Owen-Crocker has shown that if the tapestry was hung in a square room of a secular building possibly a castle keep, as suggested above , the layout design is geometric, with particular motifs mirroring each other across the display space.
As such, the coronation of William would mirror the first scene in which King Edward is seated on his throne. The Bayeux Tapestry has survived due to a fortunate set of circumstances. Although we do not know how or when the hanging arrived at Bayeux Cathedral, the fact that it did is an important part of its survival story.
Stored in a religious setting and given special status, the tapestry was likely displayed only occasionally. As such it was handled less frequently than other hangings that would have adorned secular buildings, meaning there was less opportunity for damage, loss or destruction.
The Bayeux Tapestry has also, through history, become an icon for different political personalities such as Napoleon and the Nazis who studied and kept it safe in order to highlight their political messages of French military might over the English; and German pan-nationalism respectively.
This is a question best answered by the conservators and curators in Bayeux — they know and understand the needs of the tapestry better than anyone else and I believe the final decision as to whether the hanging can and should be moved should lie with them. None of these are easy questions to answer. At present the Bayeux Tapestry is displayed in a strictly controlled environment: bullet-proof glass; climate control inside the casing; and strict protocols about who can access the tapestry.
These conditions would have to be replicated during transit and also in its new display space in Britain. I believe the future of the Bayeux Tapestry is exciting. There are plans for a purpose-built museum in Bayeux to house and look after the tapestry and to develop its material context, which is such an important aspect of its story.
Personally, I hope there will opportunities for further non-intrusive technical study of the embroidery during its conservation. For me, this would offer an opportunity to study by eye and microscope the way the stitching was constructed and how threads were utilised, and to look for working as seen on the reverse of the tapestry. I would also like to analyse the embroidery in tandem, from the obverse and reverse, to see if individual workers can be identified.
I believe this will tell us more about how the tapestry was created and also the working methods and organisation employed in the production of embroidery during the early medieval period more generally. Alexandra Lester-Makin has a PhD in early medieval embroidery from the University of Manchester and is also a professional embroiderer. To read more about the Bayeux Tapestry, click here.
Sign in. Back to Main menu Virtual events Masterclasses. The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of the events surrounding the conquest of England in by the Duke of Normandy. Crossing the sea in longships, long cavalcades on horseback, shields and coats of mail, fantastic creatures and battlefields: all the details of a great medieval epic unfold before your eyes! For the first time, you will be able to freely explore online the entire Bayeux Tapestry scene by scene with a never seen quality of images!
William, seventh duke of Normandy. Became the Conqueror after his coronation in England on December 25, , he was one of the most powerful monarchs of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Despite its name, the Bayeux Tapestry is actually an embroidery in wool thread on linen cloth. There are also places where very dark blue, yellow and a dark green have been used. What language is written on the Bayeux Tapestry? The writing on the tapestry is in Latin. It is written in Latin because that was the main written language during the Middle Ages.
Meet the four claimants to the English throne includes family tree. Where did William fight Harold for the English Throne? The Battle of Hastings. Questions and answers about the Bayeux Tapestry Part one. Questions and answers about the Bayeux Tapestry Part two.
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