Worldwide Tapestries :: The Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is a pictorial record of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and of the events which led up to the Norman Conquest of England.

Tradition held that the tapestry was made by Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, and her ladies. Modern scholarship suggests it was commissioned by Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, and made by Anglo-Saxon craftsmen.

The full Bayeux Tapestry is 20 inches high and 230 feet long. It is an important historical record, both because of the events it portrays, and for the little pieces of propaganda that are included.

For example, at his coronation, England’s King Harold is shown seated next to the corrupt Bishop Stigand, rather than Bishop Alfred, who actually crowned the King, attacking the legitimacy of Harold’s right to rule.

The tapestry begins with the journey of King Harold to Normandy, leading to his capture, and all the intervening events, culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The tapestry is displayed in a museum in Bayeux.

Based on the original, these Bayeaux Tapestry series and scenes are striking pieces of medieval art. They are unique works that portray of life and times of this period in medieval history.