Bayeux Tapestry

The 14th of October 1066 began one of history’s most memorable battles to ever be recorded. All thanks to an incredible piece of artwork called The Bayeux Tapestry. The Tapestry tells a story of events leading up to The Battle of Hastings. In such remarkable detail that it 's mostly why the battle is still known so well even today. Its thanks to that very detail that we can better understand the factors that contributed to Harold Godwinsons loss to the Normans. Did a simple mistake cost hime all of England? Could it have been prevented? Or was it as William thought “divine intervention” (Howarth,167). Godwinsons battle at Stamford Bridge on the 30th of September 1066 was the beginning of the end for Harold. Viking King Hardrada accompanied…

Research Proposal The Bayeux Tapestry: A Mechanism of Propaganda Matthew Ciotti Art to the 15th Century The Bayeux Tapestry, despite its’ iconic name is in actuality a series of embroidered scenes on canvas. The Tapestry presents a series of events during the years 1064-1066. Notwithstanding the fact that the tapestry itself is contemporaneous with the events it depicts, the authenticity of its’ narrative has been called into question many times since its’ origin.1 The Tapestry…

1. In the Bayeux tapestry, the artists used only a few words. Those were used to identify the scene, and to identify the important figures. The remaining, and the most important part of the story is left for visualization. For example in the second picture, Harold is depicted on the throne with his crown. That was used to justify the Normans’ invasion against the English. This significant part of the story is left for the viewer to see and learn from the tapestry. The history is told in the art…

The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story, in pictures, of the events leading up to and including the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. The story is told from the Norman point of view. There is no English so it is very challenging to confirm or dispute some of the information on the tapestry. It is called the Bayeux Tapestry because it has been kept at Bayeux in France ever since it was made. William's half-brother Odo (Bishop of Bayeux) ordered a tapestry to be made in honor of William's…

1066: The Year of the Conquest is a book by David Howarth trying to express the year 1066 through its battles. Specifically, the peace that the battles disrupted and the people involved such as the dukes, kings, earls, nobles, and the commoners. His goal is not to provide facts on what happened, his goal is to show his readers- whether they are scholars or those who enjoy history- the drama that unfolded that year, with as many reliable sources as possible. Howarth describes the year by…

The Bayeux Tapestry, most likely commissioned in the 1070s by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, serves to depict approximately fifty events related to the Battle of Hastings (Reading Museum, "Bayeux Tapestry"). This tapestry is divided into thirteen parts and is over 70 meters long (Reading Museum, "Bayeux Tapestry"). This is where most of the history of the battle is depicted. It was made only about eleven years after the conquest, showing how quickly the rebirth took place. Interestingly, even the art…

horse, yellow fur, and a single flesh-covered horn on its head” (Wang Web). It is sometimes even referenced as the ‘Chinese unicorn’. This animal seems to maintain the features of a hybrid, similar to a Griffin in other mythologies. Unlike a kelpie or a hippocampus, though, the majority of unicorns are a good omen. In poetry from China, they are seen as a symbol of virtue and serenity, similar to the symbol of purity a European unicorn withholds. Many works of literature and art have been…

William the Conqueror exploited people for their loyalty, which resulted in the Bayeux Tapestry only exemplifying his positive attributes. William took control over England by using tactics and strategies that were underhanded. As his first tactic of gaining the throne, William rescued Harold, the right hand man of King Edward, who happened to be the King of England at that time, only…

Lewd humor is the final kind present in the tapestry. Naked figures appear in the tapestry that may allude to certain fables, historic episodes, or humorous allusions. There are several instances of naked males accosting naked females who are covering themselves and shy away from their aggressor. One author postulates that these may relate to a fable where a father rapes his daughter, however there isn’t a strong theme present in this story that connects with the rest of the narrative. Another…

The sources are beneficial in terms of learning how military of Normandy worked and they give an insight of the character of William the Conqueror. All three sources, were about the invasion of England by William the Conqueror. The Medieval sourcebook tells us the battle between English King Harold and Duke William of Normandy. It portrayed image of hardworking soldiers and the leader which conquered a country. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Assessment of William I, is more about what kind of a man…