Thursday 13th February 2025

LC- To understand why different versions of the same event might differ.

You have had a go at representing the famous battle of 1066 in art form, but did you know the story is actually told in art?

 After the battle, the story was told in sewing!

This piece of work is a very important piece of history. It is called The Bayeux Tapestry

The tapestry is 70 meters long and just under 50 centimeters wide. It was made from linen and used eight different colours. The linen itself is a light brown colour but this is the result of age. It was made in eight pieces which were later joined together and the end of the tapestry is missing.

The tapestry itself contains about 50 different scenes. One researcher studying the tapestry counted 626 human figures, 202 horses, 55 dogs, and 505 other animals. Some of these animals are creatures that came from mythological sources. In addition to these creatures, the tapestry also includes 37 fortresses or buildings, 41 ships, and 49 trees. It also shows numerous weapons, clothes, and farming equipment. There is also writing in Latin that describes the various scenes.

 We are not going to look at all 50 scenes, but let's look at some. 

 This tells the story of Harold being shipwrecked near France and being saved by William. In return, Harold promised that William could be king. Do you remember this part of the story?

Let's see what you notice in the other scenes.

The Bayeux Tapestry is really important, but the name doesn't sound English does it?

That is because it is Norman (French) and tells the story from William's point of view. Why would this be different from Harold's point of view?

When looking at historical sources, it is always important to try and use more that one piece of evidence. When different people write about the same event, the accounts will always be different. Just like when we write something in class, everyone remembers different things. This is especially important when learning about wars and battles. Everyone takes sides and tells their own story.

The Bayeux tapestry is an important piece of history but it needs to be remembered that it was ordered to be made by the winners and therefore, some of the information has to be proven through other sources which isn’t always possible. We don't know how accurate the Bayeux tapestry is but it provides important insights into medieval times.

We are going to look at the battle from the point of view of the Saxons and the French.  What would Harold say? What would William say?