I went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. It's actually not a tapestry at all, but embroidery on a linen background. Imagine, an embroidery almost 1000 years old (give or take about 60 years). Taking pride of place in a museum devoted to this one embroidery - 70m long by 50cm tall.
It's completed with a linen background and woolen thread. In just 10 colours. In just 4 stitches. Chain stitch, stem stitch, split stitch.
Also Bayeux satin stitch. i liked this link to the bayeux stitch and I must try it.
Ok - well back to the story - which is afterall the whole point of the tapestry embroidery!
I had thought that the purpose of the story was to tell of the Norman conquest of England. Essentially this
- Edward the confessor - king of england - doesn't have an heir
- Edward has spent the last 20 or so years in France and his cousin is William, Duke of Normandy
- Edward decides that William will be the next king of England when he dies
Edward sends Harold to tell William- but Harold gets captured on the way to tell william
- ? William rescues/scores the return of Harold
- *** key point *** Harold swears on relics in the Bayeux cathedral that William will be the next heir to the thrown (see below)
- Edward dies
Harold seizes the crown of England
England gets attacked by some Vikings and Harold defeats them "up north" in the battle of Stamford Bridge- William is mighty annoyed at Harold and sets sail for England to regain what is rightfully his
Harold hears that William's landed and marches the army the length of the country to the south of England- Battle of Hastings, bloodshed and mighty war (for one day)
- Arrow in the eye for Harold, who dies
William becomes King of England, Duke of Normandy- to this day Queen Elizabeth II is still duchess of Normandy!!
The Bayeux tapestry tells the Norman part of this story. And has a lot of detail about the early part of the story, but to my surprise stops immediately after Harold gets and arrow in his eye. What about the crowning of William etc?
Apparently the tapestry was designed for display in the cathedral at Bayeux and was 7m too long - so they cut off the end...which is now missing. mmm, seems unusual.
Another way of looking at it is that it is not the conquest of England that is at the key point of the story, but the swearing of Harold on the relics that is central to the story (see above). So in the middle of the story he swears on the relics and the rest of the story goes to show that you shouldn't go back on your word otherwise bad things happen - which kind of makes more sense when you look at the way that it ends.
Regardless of all of this it is a remarkable embroidery achievement!
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