Bayeux tapestry panorama. Bayeux Tapestry. Notre Dame Cathedral

The Bayeux carpet is a huge linen fabric embroidered with woolen threads in 8 colors. Its width reaches 53 cm and its length is 68.38 meters. For the sake of objectivity, it should be noted that this masterpiece of the early Middle Ages is not a tapestry carpet. This is embroidery with multi-colored threads. It belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Stored in the city hall of Bayeux (France - Normandy). This masterpiece was created in the 11th century.

Background

In the 9th and 10th centuries, inhabitants of the northern coastal regions of France were regularly attacked by Vikings. They not only robbed, but also settled in the plundered territories near the sea. This is how the Duchy of Normandy appeared at the mouth of the Seine River. The French king assigned this territory to the Viking leader Rollon as a fief.

The Normans mastered horse riding and became a formidable force not only at sea, but also on land. In the 11th century they began to lay claim to the English throne. This all resulted in a military campaign by William, a descendant of Rollo, to England in 1066. The Normans landed on the English coast and at the Battle of Hastings inflicted a crushing defeat on the Anglo-Saxons, led by King Harold. After this, Norman rule was established in England, and William received the addition of Conqueror to his name.

Fragments of a carpet from Bayeux

Images on the Bayeux carpet

The Bayeux carpet precisely reflects the above-described historical events. Moreover, the scenes are embroidered in chronological order. The main fabric is made of 9 fabrics ranging from 3 to 14 meters in length. The joints are disguised with embroidery. The boundaries between the first and second canvas do not coincide somewhat, but then the technique was improved, and subsequent joints are almost invisible.

Embroidered on the canvas are 626 human figures, 202 horse figures, 55 dogs, 505 other various animals, 41 ships, 37 houses and 49 trees. The embroidery begins with the departure of the heir to the throne, Harold, to Normandy. Then other historical events are depicted, including the coronation of Harold, the appearance of a comet in the sky indicating future misfortunes, and the invasion of William's fleet into England. The Battle of Hastings and the death of King Harold are also depicted. The last part of the tapestry (presumably more than 6 meters in length) has not survived. It was most likely embroidered with the coronation of William the Conqueror.

Thanks to embroidery, historians have gained an idea of ​​the armor and weapons of warriors of that distant time. Thus, most of William’s warriors are horsemen, dressed in chain mail and helmets with navels. Other armor is quilted armor like a padded robe, embroidered with multi-colored fabric triangles.

The Anglo-Saxons on foot chop off the heads of horses with long-handled axes and throw spears at the horsemen. Some riders dismount from their saddles to take part in hand-to-hand combat. The warriors' chain mail is long and has slits on the sides. Some chain mail has a special slot for a sword sheath. Only the hilt is visible from the slot, and the scabbard itself is hidden under chain mail. This is how swords were worn in the 11th century. However, later knights began to hang daggers and swords on top of their armor.

Horsemen and infantrymen have the same teardrop-shaped shields. For a long time, shields of this shape were called Norman. But they were used not only by Europeans, but also by Muslims. But the painting on them was different, and the lower part of the shield was not pointed but blunt. Warriors ate on such shields in that distant time. They mounted them on trestles and laid out food supplies.

29 warriors with bows are embroidered on the canvas. But only 6 of them are depicted on the main field. The rest are on the border. This indicates the lower status of archers compared to horsemen. But there is only one horse archer. He is depicted behind the galloping Normans pursuing the Anglo-Saxons.

As for the horses, no protective armor is depicted on them. Therefore, we can assume that the animals suffered greatly from enemy arrows. However, medieval knights never used arrows and bows in battles. They used the bow only for hunting. But eastern warriors always fired from horses, but this military tactic did not become widespread in Europe.

From all that has been said, it is clear that the Bayeux carpet represents a unique find for historians. It tells not only about historical events, but also gives a complete picture of the uniform of Western European soldiers. This is a long chain mail, a conical helmet with a nosepiece, and a drop-shaped shield. Also a long straight sword designed specifically for slashing, a broad-bladed ax and a spear.

An 11th-century Norman horseman, reproduced from paintings

The history of the creation and discovery of the Bayeux carpet

The first mention of the unique painting dates back to 1476. At this time, an inventory was taking place at the Bayeux Cathedral, and the canvas was included in the list of property. Then they forgot about the unique tapestry until the end of the 17th century, when church ministers began to display it every year in the cathedral for public viewing. In the 30s of the 18th century, the first reproductions of the carpet were published.

In 1803, by order of Napoleon Bonaparte, the tapestry was brought to Paris. The Emperor was planning a war with England and used various methods of propaganda for this purpose. However, later the canvas returned to its native cathedral. During Hitler's Germany, the tapestry was taken over by the Society for the Study of Ancient German History (Ahnenerbe). The unique masterpiece was taken to Paris and placed in the bins of the Louvre. After the fall of the Hitler regime, it was again moved to where it was taken from. Currently, the canvas is in a special museum and is protected by glass from external damage.

Who created this unique masterpiece? What was the great master called? For a long time it was believed that the embroidery was done on the personal orders of Queen Matilda (wife of William the Conqueror). The court weavers did this. Apparently they were excellent craftswomen if they could create such a thing.

However, later a different version appeared. Bishop Odo was named as the initiator and customer. This venerable gentleman in all respects was the brother of William the Conqueror. It was under him that in 1077 the construction of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bayeux was completed. According to the bishop's idea, the canvas was supposed to serve as a decoration for church walls and delight the eyes of parishioners. In this case, unique embroidery was done by English weavers. There is also an opinion that the carpet was made by monks from the monastery of St. Augustine. Today it is St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury.

The Bayeux Carpet is one of the greatest achievements of Norman art. This masterpiece has been perfectly preserved for 1000 years, which can be considered a real miracle. Perfect harmony, freshness of colors, exquisite craftsmanship and the historical idea itself make viewing embroidery an extremely fascinating experience..


Bayeux (French Bayeux) is a city in Normandy (northwest France), in the department of Calvados. Bayeux is located in the fertile Or River valley, 12 km from the English Channel.
In ancient times Bayeux was the center of the Gaulish tribe of the Bayocasses, and in Roman times was called "Augustodorum" and, as the remains of an aqueduct, a gymnasium and other signs of civilization show, achieved a certain degree of prosperity.
In the 3rd century, this area belonged to the so-called “Saxon Coast” (lat. Litus Saxonicum, modern department of the Loire-Atlantique), then to the territory of Little Saxony (lat. Otlingua Saxonia, modern department of Calvados), where Charlemagne evicted the Saxons he had conquered. The descendants of these settlers were called “Bessen Saxons” for a long time. Bayeux was the main city of the Bessin region. In the 4th century a bishopric was founded in the city, and in the 9th century another Saxon element, also of Germanic origin, was added. The Norman Rollon (from 912 Christian Duke of Normandy) took Bayeux from Count Berengard, who was killed during the Viking assault on the city, and whose beautiful daughter became the wife of the winner. Thus, Bayeux became the main center of Norman power in Upper Normandy and retained Scandinavian customs longer than other cities.
The main attraction of the city is the cathedral, the construction of which began in 1105 and was completed in 1497. The city also houses a museum in which the famous “Bayeux carpet” is exhibited, a monument of early medieval art, which is an embroidered canvas 50 cm high and 70 ,3 m long, depicting the most important events from the history of the conquest of England by William of Normandy. In France, the tapestry is known as Queen Matilda's Carpet, as it was long believed that the painting was embroidered by the hands of William the Conqueror's wife, Queen Matilda. However, there is now a second theory that the customer of the carpet was Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, one of William's closest associates and maternal half-brother, in which case the tapestry's makers were probably English weavers, since the bishop's main land holdings were in Kent. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that some Latin names on the carpet are derived from Anglo-Saxon ones, and the plant dyes used to create the carpet were widespread in England. There is an assumption that the authors of the carpet from Bayeux were the monks of the monastery of St. Augustine in Canterbury.

The main subject of the tapestry is the Battle of Hastings (English: Battle of Hastings, October 14, 1066) between the Anglo-Saxon army of King Harold Godwinson and the troops of the Norman Duke William:
“We fought fiercely for most of the day, with neither side yielding. Convinced of this, Wilhelm gave the signal for an imaginary flight from the battlefield. As a result of this trick, the battle ranks of the Angles were upset, trying to exterminate the randomly retreating enemy, and thus their own death was accelerated; for the Normans, turning sharply, attacked the separated enemies, and put them to flight. So, deceived by cunning, they accepted a glorious death, avenging their homeland. But still, they avenged themselves with interest, and, stubbornly resisting, left piles of dead from their pursuers. Having taken possession of the hill, they threw the Normans into the hollow when they, engulfed in flames [of battle], stubbornly climbed to the heights, and destroyed every single one, easily shooting arrows at those approaching from below and rolling stones onto them.”
Chronicler William of Poitevin about the battle of the Normans and Anglo-Saxons.

The earliest written evidence of a carpet is contained in the inventory of the property of Bayeux Cathedral, dated 1476. The carpet was discovered at the end of the 17th century in Bayeux, where it was traditionally exhibited once a year in the local cathedral. The first reproductions of the carpet were published in the 1730s. Bernard de Montfaucon. During the French Revolution, some Republicans from Bayeux wanted to make a carpet out of carpet for a cart with military ammunition, but one of the lawyers, who understood the value of the carpet, saved it by providing another fabric. In 1803, Napoleon took the carpet to Paris to promote the planned French invasion of England. However, when the invasion plan failed, the carpet was returned to Bayeux. There it was kept rolled up until it was captured by representatives of the German Ahnenerbe. The carpet spent most of the Second World War in the dungeons of the Louvre.

The carpet is currently on display in a special museum in Bayeux, and in order to avoid deterioration of the condition of this work of art, it is placed under glass, and special low lighting is maintained in the room.

The carpet is embroidered on linen with woolen threads in four colors: purple, blue, green and black. When embroidering, the chain stitch technique, the stem stitch technique, as well as a simple “set” were used.

Events unfold in chronological order and are presented in successive scenes: the sending of Harold by King Edward the Confessor to Normandy; his capture by the men of Guy, Count of Ponthieu, and release by Duke William; Harold's oath to William and his participation in the siege of Dinan; death of Edward the Confessor and coronation of Harold; the appearance of a comet, foreshadowing misfortune, over Harold's palace; William's preparations for invasion and the route of his fleet across the English Channel; and finally the Battle of Hastings and the death of Harold. Part of the carpet, about 6.4 m long, has not survived. It probably depicted events after the Battle of Hastings, including the coronation of William the Conqueror.

The authors of the carpet reflected the Norman point of view on the events of 1066, for example, the coronation of Harold is carried out by the excommunicated Stigand, although most likely, according to the testimony of Florence of Worcester, the anointing was carried out by Archbishop Eldred, who was ordained in full accordance with church canons. Moreover, according to the legend depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, an arrow hit the king's right eye. According to another version, Harold was hacked to death by Norman knights. The Chronicle of the Roman de Rou reports that King Harold was wounded by an arrow in the eye, but pulled out the arrow and continued to fight until he fell to the blows of the Norman knights. Even earlier, the king's brothers Girt and Leofwin died. Left without leaders, the Anglo-Saxon army fled, although the king's squad continued to fight around the body of their overlord to the last.
Wilhelm's victory was complete. Several thousand Anglo-Saxons were left lying on the battlefield. William later gave the hacked body of King Harold to his mother for burial.

Memorial plaque at the site of King Harold's death:

The Battle of Hastings is one of the few battles that radically changed the course of history. The victory opened up England for William. After a short resistance, London submitted, and the surviving Anglo-Saxon aristocracy recognized William's rights to the English throne.
On December 25, 1066, William was crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey. As a result of the Norman Conquest, the ancient Anglo-Saxon state was destroyed, which was replaced by a centralized feudal monarchy with strong royal power, based on the European knightly culture and the vassal-fief system. A new impetus was given to the development of the country, which allowed England to quickly become one of the strongest powers in Europe.
On the site of the Battle of Hastings, the Battle Monastery was founded, and the altar of the main church of the monastery was located right on the site of the death of King Harold. Later, the small town of Battle grew up around the monastery.

Hastings Battlefield. View from the Norman positions:

Usually on excursions Bayeux always goes together with Caen - not only because they are located 50 km from each other. (That’s what we called them: Kayo-Bayo). The main events in the life of these cities took place at the same time - during the era of William the Conqueror. And in this context, Bayeux serves as a complement to Caen, as it is the custodian of a unique relic from the era of William the Bastard, who turned into William the Conqueror.

This relic, the so-called Bayeux carpet, dates back to 1070. So-called - because in fact it is not a carpet or tapestry in the usual sense. This is a narrow long canvas half a meter wide and about 70 meters long, which I would define as the first film, a film created using the means possible at that time.

In this “film”, with coarse woolen threads on linen, the history of the Norman conquest of England is embroidered in detail and carefully, with many scenes and characters.

And the intrigue of all these events began in Bayeux. Here Harold, the envoy of the English king Edward the Confessor, was forced to swear allegiance to William on the holy relics, but he broke the oath and took the royal place himself after the death of Edward, which caused the invasion of the indignant Normans into England and his own death at the Battle of Hastings.

The commission for this painting was first attributed to William's wife, Matilda of Flanders. Then, a more likely customer was considered William’s half-brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, who built the cathedral in Bayeux just at the time of the painting’s creation. An embroidered ribbon of events began to be exhibited annually within the walls of the cathedral, so that the memory of those heroic events would not weaken among the townspeople.

Several times the tape was in danger of being destroyed. During the French Revolution, they wanted to use it simply as a good-quality linen rag. And then Napoleon transported her to Paris. Years have passed, the carpet has returned to Bayeux, only it is no longer displayed in the cathedral. A three-story museum was built especially for him.

This is where every respectable tourist who arrives in the city ends up first.

On the first floor of the museum, a unique ribbon is unrolled - the Bayeux carpet. At the entrance, everyone is given an audio guide (available in Russian), which explains to you “frame by frame” as you move along the canvas. The events are presented meticulously: buildings, ships, numerous characters, animals, clothing details, food are embroidered. There is even a picture of a chicken on a spit being loaded onto a ship as provisions. Along the edges of the canvas, top and bottom, there is an embroidered ornament: illustrations to Aesop's fables.

Fragments

Ornament

Having walked 70 meters along this canvas, you involuntarily become imbued with - not even the significance of the events depicted - but precisely the uniqueness of what just floated before your eyes. There are no other similar analogues in the world.

The second and third floors of the museum are for consolidating the material. On the second floor you can view each painting on the screen in slow motion. There are also items and models from the time of William the Conqueror on display.

On the third floor, a 20-minute film is shown: either in English or in French.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Having reviewed everything in the museum, the tourist moves to the second attraction of Bayeux - the Notre Dame Cathedral, within the walls of which the carpet was once displayed. William the Conqueror was present at the consecration of the cathedral.

They didn’t skimp on the cathedral – it’s luxurious. True, little has survived from the 11th century. All this Gothic splendor arose later.

Notre Dame Cathedral

11th century crypt

Fortunately, Bayeux was practically unscathed by World War II. While neighboring Caen was fought for a long time and fiercely, Bayeux passed into the hands of the allies the very next day after the landing.

There are many nice little places preserved in the city itself.

Mills on the Orne River

The Bayeux Tapestry is a woven carpet about 70 meters long. kept in the museum of the French city of Bayeux. The subjects of the tapestry are entirely dedicated to the Norman conquest of England, and it was created with the aim of glorifying the great victory of the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror. The images on the tapestry transport the viewer in the midst of historical events of 1066.

The Bayeux Tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo to coincide with the construction of the city's cathedral in the 1070s and was completed in 1077. His embroideries are made with wool thread on a linen base. On many scenes of the carpet there are inscriptions that indicate to the names of the participants or the location of the event . Almost all the inscriptions are embroidered with dark blue, almost black wool. Some French names are written in archaic form ( "Rednes" ) or in anglicized form (“ Bagias "). The word sometimes used to refer to Normans is "Franci »

For historians, the Bayeux Tapestry is an indispensable source of information. on the history of medieval European weapons , the tapestry is priceless because it depicts hundreds of figures of Norman and English warriors with all the details of their equipment and weapons from the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND 1066A - a military invasion of England by the army of the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, which led to the establishment of the Norman dynasty on the English throne and changes in the political and socio-economic structure of the Kingdom of England.

At the end of the 10th century, England was subjected to massive raids by Scandinavian Vikings. King Anglo-Saxons Aethelred II, Wanting to secure support for himself in the fight against the Vikings, in 1002 he married Emma, ​​the sister of the Norman Duke Richard II, but without receiving help from him, Ethelred II in 1013 was forced to flee with his family to Normandy. The sons of Ethelred II and Emma spent almost 30 years in exile at the court of the Norman Duke.

By 1016, all of England was conquered by the Vikings, and Canute the Great became king, uniting England, Denmark and Norway under his rule.

Only in 1042 to the eldest son Æthelred II , brought up in Normandy, Edward the Confessor managed to regain the throne of England.

1064 In the Royal Palace of Westminster, King Edward the Confessor of England talks with his brother-in-law Harold, Earl of Wessex

According to Norman sources, international positions Earl of Wessex Harold Godwinson (Harold II ) in 1064/1065 sharply weakened due to an extremely unsuccessful trip to Normandy. Having gone to the Norman Duke William to ransom his brother Wulfnoth from the hostages, Harold was shipwrecked and captured by Guy I, Count of Ponthieu.

HIC WILLELM DEDIT ARMA HAROLDO = Here William gives (gives) weapons to Harold

After his release at the request of William of Normandy, Harold spent some time in Normandy at the Duke's court, and William gave Harold weapon, knighting him .

UBI HAROLD SACRAMENTUM FECIT WILLELMO DUCI = Where is Harold gives (DASI ) oath to Duke William

The Bayeux Tapestry and other Norman sources record that Harold swore an oath of allegiance to William of Normandy on sacred relics, and promised to support William's claim to the English throne after the death of King Edward the Confessor. The story about this trip and Harold's oath on the holy relics was recorded by all medieval chroniclers (Guillaume of Jumièges, William of Malmesbury, Simeon of Durham, Roger of Hoveden, Matthew of Paris, etc.).

HIC HAROLD DUX REVERSUS EST AD ANGLICAM TERRAM = Here Earl Harold returns to English lands

Harold's violation of this oath after the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 became the main pretext for organizing the invasion of England by William of Normandy and largely provided William with the support of the Pope and European knighthood.

ET VENIT AD EDWARDU[M] REGEM = and comes to King Edward

On the night of On January 5, 1066, the English king Edward the Confessor died. leaving no direct heirs. The Bayeux Tapestry shows a scene of King Edward's funeral procession and his shrouded body lying on a piece of patterned Byzantine silk with a repeating design panthers and griffins.

The last representative of the Anglo-Saxon royal dynasty is a great-nephew Edward the Confessor A Edgar Etheling was young (he was about 15 years old) and did not enjoy the support of the Anglo-Saxon nobility.

Here King Edward is in bed talking to his loyal followers. Here he dies in the presence of a priest

Was proclaimed king Earl of Wessex Harold Godwinson , who was the de facto ruler of England in the last years of his reign Edward the Confessor. According to English sources, Edward declared him his heir before his death.

The chronicler Orderic Vitalis wrote about Harold II what's his " distinguished by his large size and strength of body, his polished manners, his firmness of mind and mastery of words, always ready with a witty answer and many excellent qualities "

Here they give the royal CROWN (CORONA) to Harold (...and an ax, ax, as a symbol of power)

However, he also claimed the right to the English throne. Duke William of Normandy, distantly related to Emma, ​​mother of Edward the Confessor .

Caption: HIC RE SIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORUM = Here sits Harold, King of England

A bad omen.

The comet was considered a harbinger of misfortune, disease and all kinds of disasters.
In 1682, Halley calculated the frequency of the comet's return to Earth in 75-76 years. It was this comet in 1066 that was depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry.

Caption: ISTI MIRANT STELLA. People see the appearance of Halley's Comet and think it is a bad omen and are horrified

News of the comet is brought to Harold's palace. Under the image of the king in the lower register of the tapestry, a ghostly figure appears the fleet is a hint of the coming invasion of William's Normans.

News of Edward's death and Harold's coronation crosses the English Channel and reaches William, Duke of Normandy.


William is furious, he lays claim to the throne of England and considers Harold a usurper. William decides to invade England and orders the construction of a fleet of warships. On Wilhelm's left hand sits his step-brother Brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux . William's men prepare to invade England. Lumberjacks cut down trees and make planks from them that are used to build ships.

To summer 1066 William gathered an army of about 4-7 thousand soldiers, And began building ships to cross the English Channel.

Caption: Duke William orders the construction of ships

Duke William of Normandy was able to get support Pope Alexander II (1061-1073), who sent him the “banner of St. Petra." This support allowed William to attract into his army not only Norman vassals, but also knights from all over continental Europe (Brittany, Flanders, Lorraine, Picardy, Mena, Aquitaine, etc.).

Caption: HIC TRAHUNT NAVES AD MARE = ​​Here ships are dragged to the sea

At the same time, he was preparing for a military campaign against England. Norwegian King Harald the Severe, with whom the younger brother entered into an alliance Earl of Wessex Harold Tosti , outlawed in 1065 and engaged in piracy off the southern and eastern coasts of England.

In September 1066, the Norwegian army Harald the Severe landed in northern England, defeated the combined forces at the Battle of Fulford (September 20) Anglo-Saxon earls Edwin and Morcar and occupied York. Having learned about this, Harold, who was in the south of England, expecting William's invasion from Normandy, marched with an army to the north and in the bloody battle of Stamford Bridge (September 25) defeated the Norwegians. The Norwegian king Harald the Harsh and Harold's brother Tosti died in the battle.

Harold's Anglo-Saxon Army , probably, was the largest army in Western Europe. Ground Force Core constituted the king's personal guard - housecarls (from Old Scand. húskarlar, where hús is a house, karl is a personally free person) and Earls (Old English eorl - person) - the title of the highest aristocracy of Anglo-Saxon Britain in the 11th century, which arose under the influence of the Danish conquest of England. By the middle of the 11th century there were about 3000 royal housecarls, the squad of a large earl consisted of 400-500 warriors. Harold's army consisted of units military service nobility - tens ( Anglo-Saxon : þeg(e)n (TEGUN from the 8th century); English . thegn; lat . tainus), and the national militia of the peasants of Anglo-Saxon Britain - fird (Anglo-Saxon: fird ; from 694) - which is an army convened by the king from free landowners, on the principle of putting one soldier into the militia from each guides (English hide, Anglo-Saxon: hϊd or hiwisc) - units of cultivated land of one family of a free peasant. The fyrd warriors were well armed with swords and shields.



Having waited for favorable weather, William's troops landed in England on September 28-29, 1066.

William sits down to a feast with his aristocrats, and Bishop Odo says a prayer before eating

Harold, with an army of about 7 thousand people, made a forced march to the south, towards William's Norman troops near Hastings.

On the day of the Battle of Hastings, in the morning October 14, 1066 , William is depicted dressed in armor, receiving a blessing before battle.

His Norman cavalry gallops towards Harold's English foot soldiers. Caption: Here the warriors left Hastings and came to battle against King Harold

At the head of the cavalry detachment is Wilhelm on a black horse.

Duke William asks Vital, one of Odo's vassals, if he sees Harold's army.

events in the English camp. A warrior from an observation post informs King Harold of the approach of Duke William's Norman army

Wilhelm, holding a mace, makes a speech to inspire his soldiers. Duke William tells his soldiers to prepare courageously and wisely for battle against the English army.

The Norman cavalry charges and the Battle of Hastings begins on October 14, 1066.

The air is filled with flying arrows and spears. The English infantry is protected from them by a wall of shields. The Normans attack from both sides. The lower register of the tapestry is filled with dead and wounded soldiers.

Warriors chop each other with battle axes and hit each other with spears. Harold's brothers, Leofwin and Girth, die fighting. Caption: Here fell Leofwin and Gyrth, brothers of King Harold.

The battle is in full swing. Warriors and horses fall to the ground. The lower register of the tapestry is dotted with defeated soldiers and animals. Caption: Here the British and French fall simultaneously in battle.

Bishop Odo appears on a black horse in the thick of battle and, waving his club, inspires the Norman soldiers.

Odo uses a club rather than a sword, since bishops are not supposed to shed blood. Inscription: Here Bishop Odo, holding a staff, encourages the young men.

After falling from his horse, Wilhelm takes off his helmet, to reveal your face. By doing this, he shows his troops that he is still alive and inspires them to continue fighting. Caption: Duke William is here.

Next to him, Count Eustachius of Boulogne carries a banner, which the Pope sent to William to show his support for William's invasion of England.

The Normans appear to be winning the ongoing battle. Many soldiers are killed; one of the warriors, whose shield is riddled with stuck arrows, is depicted as if with a severed head. Caption: Here the French fight and kill those who were with Harold.

One of the tapestry's most famous scenes: death of King Harold. At the same time, it seems that Harold is depicted twice. First, Harold removes the arrow from his eye, and then he is struck with a sword by a Norman knight as he falls.

HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST = Here King Harold is killed

When King Harold is killed, the battle is lost by the English. The victorious Normans pursue the remaining English on the battlefield. The final scene of the tapestry has been lost. It may have shown William's coronation as King of England. This would correspond to the scene at the very beginning of the tapestry, showing King Edward enthroned just two years earlier.

ET FUGA VERTERUNT ANGLI = and the English flee

At the battle of Hastigs William's Ormandian army was victorious, Harold and his brothers died in battle.

Sources do not allow us to unambiguously reconstruct the course of the battle, but, apparently, the presence of in the Norman army cavalry, which was transported by ship across the English Channel. In Anglo-Saxon Britain almost cavalry and archers were not used , as well as a fortress as a means of controlling and protecting the territory.

Immediately after the Battle of Hastings, some of the secular and spiritual Anglo-Saxon magnates in London proclaimed Edgar Etheling king, but when William’s Norman army approached, they capitulated, and at the end of November, beginning of December, they swore an oath to him as the legitimate ruler of England. On December 25, 1066, the Archbishop of York, Ealdred, crowned William in the Cathedral of Westminster Abbey.

Sporadic revolts against the power of William the Conqueror continued until 1071. The largest was the uprising in Northern England in the summer of 1069. He was supported by a fleet sent by King Svein (Sven) II of Denmark (1047-1074 or 1076), who also laid claim to the English crown based on his relationship with Canute the Great.

However William and his army in the winter of 1069-1070 made a campaign to the north and defeated the rebels and devastated large areas in Yorkshire, Northumberland and County Durham. Edgar Etheling, who took part in the uprising, fled to Scotland, and in 1074 surrendered to William, performing a ceremony of concluding a vassal agreement, and recognizing him as the legitimate ruler of England brought him homage.

A symbolic consolidation of William's power over England was the land census, as a result of which the Domesday Book was compiled, as well as the oath of all free land holders to him - the “Salisbury Oath of 1086”.

The Norman conquest of England led to a rapid and dramatic change in the composition of England's secular elite. Due to the confiscation of the lands of the Anglo-Saxons who fought against William the Conqueror at Hastings and participated in the last uprisings.

Wilhelm concentrated vast possessions in his hands, which he actively distributed to his associates. However, they, as a rule, received land in different parts of the country, so in England, unlike in France, extensive territorial baronies did not develop.

By the 1080s Landowners of Anglo-Saxon origin appear to have held less than 10% of the arable land. The ethnic composition of the higher clergy also changed: in the years 1070-1175, only immigrants from the continent or their descendants were appointed to English episcopal sees.

An important consequence of the Norman conquest of England was the loss of the official status of Old English by the end of the reign of William the Conqueror.

At the same time, the Norman conquerors preserved the system of central and local government and legal proceedings that had developed in the Anglo-Saxon era, which was advanced for the early Middle Ages. The codes of law and other legal acts of the Anglo-Saxon kings, which played an important role in the formation of the “Common Law” system in the second half of the 12th century, were not formally repealed. The consequences of the Norman conquest of England from the point of view of formalizing the seigneurial dependence of the peasantry remain a debatable issue.


Photos taken from here.

In 1064, after a conversation at the Royal Palace in Westminster with his son-in-law, King Edward of England, Earl of Wessex Harold Godwinson, falcon in hand, headed with his companions and a pack of dogs to the south of the country, heading towards Bosham in Sussex, the Earl's ancestral nest . This particular scene is the first of the thirty-two scenes in the Bayeux Tapestry that detail the Norman conquest of England.
1.

King Edward of England, nicknamed the Confessor for the construction of Westminster Abbey, died on January 5, 1066 after a twenty-three-year reign. Being childless, he left no direct heirs. The consequence of this was a three-way struggle for the throne, ending with the Battle of Hastings and the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England.

The main contender for the throne was the aforementioned Harold Godwinson, the king's adviser and, in fact, the second person in the country. His position, relationship with Edward, who was married to the earl's sister, and respect among his peers made Harold the natural successor. And his position only strengthened when, already on his deathbed, Edward is said to have said: “Into the hands of Harold I betray my kingdom!” With this regal expression of will, the Witenagemot, the council of elders, unanimously chose Harold as the new king, whose coronation took place on the same day as Edward's burial. However, a crown on the head is quite often a big problem for the head.

Duke William of Normandy laid claim to the throne of England no less than Harold, confirming his rights to it by blood relationship with Edward (they were distant cousins) and claiming that it was he who had been named successor by the king several years earlier: supposedly a royal message in which the future master of England called William, in 1064 it was delivered to him by none other than Godwinson himself, who also swore on the relics of the holy martyrs to support the duke in his rights to the throne. It turned out that Harold not only put on the crown against Edward’s wishes, but also violated the sacred oath. The latter circumstance allowed William to enlist the support of the Pope, who immediately excommunicated Harold from the church, consigning him and his associates to eternal burning in Hell. William began immediate preparations for the invasion of England.

But there was also a third contender - the Norwegian king Harald Gardrada, whose claims were based on a complicated story that happened in the year of Edward's accession. The fact is that until 1047, Harald ruled jointly with his nephew Magnus, who in 1042 made a deal with the Danish ruler of England, Harthakut, that in the event of the death of one of them and in the absence of male heirs, the other would become the sole ruler of the country. However, when Harthakut died, Magnus was too busy fighting for the Danish crown proper to deal with England as well. As a result, Edward became the first Anglo-Saxon king. After the death of the latter and Magnus, Hardrada announced that it was he, being the heir of Magnus, who was the rightful ruler of England, and as soon as Harold was crowned, he began immediate preparations for the invasion.

He struck first. In mid-September 1066, Norwegian troops landed on the northern coast of England and, having ravaged several surrounding villages, moved towards York. Harold's worthless brother Tostig also joined them. The Viking army quickly overwhelmed the English forces holding the York Road and captured the city. These news forced King Harold to hastily move north, replenishing his armed ranks along the way. The speed with which he advanced and encamped near Stamford Bridge at York allowed the Norwegians to be taken by surprise. On September 25, Gardrada's troops fell in a fierce battle, followed by Tostig's forces. The remnants of the Norwegian army boarded ships and retreated home. The defeat of the Vikings was so severe that of the 240 ships that landed on the English coast, only 24 set sail. Harold, while resting after the battle, received news of the landing of William's army.

It must be said that William finished building the invasion fleet back in July 1066. But strong northern winds were dangerous, and the Duke had to languish off the Norman coast for six whole weeks. Finally, on September 27, when the wind changed to the south, the fleet, after solemnly carrying the relics of St. Valery along the sea, weighed anchor. On September 28, that is, 942 years ago, the Normans landed near Pevensey and immediately advanced to Hastings.

Harold rushed south and unfurled his battle standards on a hill five miles from the city. Early the next morning, October 14th, the king's watchmen saw a long column of Norman warriors, which, approaching the foot of the hill, formed into battle formations. Lined up several hundred yards apart, the armies exchanged taunts and insults. But soon, at the signal, the Norman archers took up their positions in front of the main army, to which the Anglo-Saxons responded by raising their shields above them. The battle has begun.

The Anglo-Saxons, as they would say today, “played on the defensive,” while the infantry and horsemen of the Duke tried time after time to break through this defense. All day the outcome of the battle was in doubt. But by evening a gap appeared in the ranks of the Anglo-Saxons, into which the Normans immediately directed all their fury. King Harold fell, as did the entire Anglo-Saxon aristocracy. Wilhelm's victory was complete. On Christmas Day 1066, she was crowned in Westminster Abbey, earning the nickname the Conqueror in history.

These are, in brief, the events depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. In fact, this half-meter wide and 70-meter long cloth was not woven, but embroidered - presumably around 1070 by order of Odo, Bishop of Bayo, who was the half-brother of William the Conqueror. However, according to one version, the cloth itself was made by craftsmen from Kent, whose fame for their embroidery skills was spread throughout Europe. In 1885, one Elizabeth Wardle, a member of the Staffordshire Embroiderers' Society, whose husband had some success in the silk business, came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a replica of the tapestry, since “England should have its own copy” of this historical work of craft and fine art. Through the efforts of thirty-five Staffordshire embroiderers, under the leadership of Mrs. Wardle, another panel appeared, stored in the Reading City Museum. Here it is: In fact, both tapestries are so similar that I decided not to bother and show this particular tapestry. If you don't read that it's a Reading tapestry, you might easily mistake it for a Bayeux tapestry. The year of manufacture does vary somewhat. Some 8 centuries...
But the essence of the event did not change.
2.
Harold and his companion enter the church at Bosham to thank God for their safe return. A feast then takes place at Manorhouse, one of the Earl's houses, before Harold departs. He boards ships and sets sail. The falcon is still in his hand.

3.
Harold's ships cross the Channel (now the English Channel). From the mast, the lookout looks at the ground. This is Ponthieu in the north of Normandy, the domain of the fierce Count Guy. Harold is shown twice here: on the left he stands on the deck of the ship, ready to go ashore; but as soon as he does this, he is grabbed by the soldiers of Count Guy, who is leading the capture on horseback.

4.
Harold is a prisoner, but he is treated with respect. He is in the foreground, with a falcon in his hand, galloping towards Boren, the capital of Count Guy's territories. The latter sits on the throne and talks with Harold.

5.
This and the next episode continue the narrative backwards. Here we see two envoys from Duke William of Normandy, Count Guy's overlord, demanding the release of Harold. The smallest figure is Turold, one of the messengers. On the right, the envoys are still galloping as fast as they can, carrying the Duke’s letter, and their hair is fluttering in the wind.

6.
The beginning of the scene with the messengers: William receives news that Guy has captured Harold. Next, Guy obeys the Duke's orders and takes Harold to meet him. Guy points to Harold. They both have falcons in their hands.

7.
William and Harold gallop, accompanied by soldiers, to the ducal palace in Rouen, and now William is holding the falcon. Here he is already sitting while Harold addresses him. The mysterious incident on the right seems to have no bearing on the main narrative, but may have been well known in the 11th century. It is possible that it is connected with some kind of scandal on sexual grounds: the man at the bottom border of the panel was dressed by Victorian embroiderers in underpants, although in the original Bayeux tapestry he is naked.

8.
Harold accompanies William and the Norman army on their quest to fight Conan II, the Prince of Breton. They pass the monastery of St. Michael, located on the border of Normandy and Brittany. To invade Brittany, they need to cross a river. They hold shields over their heads to avoid getting wet. Some of the soldiers fell into quicksand, and Harold saved them - two at a time! (Interestingly, Conan was eventually poisoned by William in 1066, but that's another story.)

9.
The Normans attack the city of Dol, which is 30 kilometers from the monastery of St. Michael, and Prince Conan escapes from the castle, climbing down a rope. Pursuing him, the Normans pass Rennes, the capital of Brittany.

10.
The Normans catch up with Conan in the city of Dinan. During the battle, horsemen throw pikes, while others set fire to the city fortifications. Conan gives up. He hands the keys of the city to William on the tip of a spear. And he personally rewards Harold for his service, which could be interpreted in the sense that Harold recognizes William’s suzerainty over himself - from a Norman point of view, a very important event.

11.
William and Harold return to Normandy, to the city of Bayeux. Climax of the story: Harold swears on the holy relics. Did he promise to support William in his claim to the throne? Finally, he is free and sails to England.

12.
Harold speaks to King Edward. The king is depicted as weakened and deeply ill, although in reality at that time, in 1064, he was still quite healthy.

13.
Edward dies on January 5, 1066. On the panel, the episodes with his death and burial are also given in reverse order. Here we see a funeral procession heading to the great new church of Westminster Abbey, which was built (or rather rebuilt) by Edward, but by the time of its consecration on December 28, 1065, he was already too ill. Next we see the king in the upper chambers: he is in bed and talking with his loyal entourage, including Harold and Queen Edith. Below he is already dead, next to him is the priest. Two Anglo-Saxon aristocrats offer Harold a crown and an axe, symbols of royal power. He accepts the offer.

14.
Harold is the crowned king of England. On the morning of the same day, January 6, 1066, Edward's burial takes place. The new king sits on the throne, flanked by the nobility on the left and Archbishop Stigand on the right. In the distance, people greet him. Halley's Comet appears on the far right; people are afraid because they think it is a bad sign. The news of the comet is delivered to Harold, under whom, along the very border of the canvas, a ghostly flotilla can be seen - a hint of the imminent Norman invasion.

15.
The news of Edward's death and Harold's coronation reaches Duke William of Normandy across the channel. He's furious. He declares that the English throne should be his and calls Harold a usurper. William decides to attack England and begins building warships. To his left sits Odo, Bishop of Bayo, his half-brother. This is the first appearance of the bishop in images of the cloth.

16.
William's men prepare for invasion. Woodcutters cut down wood and cut it into planks, from which they build ships that are dragged to the sea.

17.
The ships are loaded with supplies of provisions and water, as well as weapons: chain mail, helmets, swords and spears.

18.
William leads his army to the ships. They sit down and set sail.

19.
The sea is “teeming” with ships full of soldiers and horses. William on the ship Mora, bought for him by his wife Matilda.

20.
On September 28, 1066, they reach the southern coast of England and land near Pevensey. The warriors gallop towards Hastings and collect food from the peasants.

21.
A feast is being prepared in the open air: chickens on spits, lamb stewed over an open fire, and all sorts of food from the ovens. William sits down with his nobles and Bishop Odo speaks a word about grace. Servants place dishes on shields to bring them to the banquet tables. On the left at the top of the episode is Vadard, close to Bishop Odo.

22.
William argues with his brothers Odo and Robert, Count of Mortain. Parts of a motte, a special type of medieval castle consisting of a palisaded courtyard within or adjacent to which was a hill topped with a wooden fortress, are made to fortify the Norman camp at Hastings. A messenger brings news to William about Harold and his army. On the right, a woman and child are running from a burning house.

23.
Morning of the battle 14th October 1066. William, in full armor, is about to mount his horse. His cavalry gallops at full speed towards Harold's warriors.

24.
Here Wilhelm is shown twice. First on a dark horse at the head of the army, and then - on the right - asking Vital, one of Odo’s men, if he had seen the enemy.

25.
Events are shown first from the English side: a lookout warns Harold about the approach of the Norman army; and then again with the Norman: William, with a mace in his hand, admonishes his soldiers.

26.
The Normans are advancing, the Battle of Hastings has begun.

27.
The air is filled with arrows and lances, people are dying. Dismounted English soldiers protect themselves with shields. The Normans attack from both sides. The bottom of the canvas is strewn with dead and wounded.

28.
The carnage continues: people stab, chop, and cut each other. Harold's brothers die in the battle.

29.
The battle rages on. People and horses fall to the ground. Along the lower edge of the canvas there are again killed warriors and animals. Bishop Odo appears in the thick of the battle, waving his club and encouraging the Duke's supporters. Odo's weapon is a club, not a sword, because bishops should not shed blood.

30.
Having fallen from his horse, Wilhelm raises his visor and shows his face to the troops - so that they can see that he is alive and continue the battle. Count Eustathius of Boulogne holds an elaborate banner, which may have been a gift from the Pope himself, who supported William's invasion of England.

31.
The Normans appear to be gaining the upper hand in the battle. Many soldiers are killed, one is beheaded. On the right we see one of the most famous scenes of the panel: the Normans kill King Harold. But how? This is shown twice: first he pulls the arrow out of his eye, and then he is cut down by a Norman knight with a sword. However, this is only an assumption that the figure on the right is the murdered Harold.

32.
Harold is dead, the battle is over. The victors pursue the remnants of the English army. Unfortunately, this panel is torn, and the final scene has not reached us. Perhaps this was William's coronation, which would be consistent with the very beginning of the story, two years earlier, where a calm and confident King Edward is depicted on the throne.

As a result of carefully reading the text of the explanations under each of the fragments of the tapestry, I discovered an interesting detail. The Battle of Hastings took place
October 14th, 1066. On my birthday, though 888 years before it. I don’t know what this means, but for some reason it seemed symbolic to me. And don't laugh at me.
And I also want to express gratitude to a stranger

 

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