History's Most Significant Piece Of Needlework

  

Inserting needle and thread into fabric is a necessary and useful act, but in some cases, it can also be an art form and even a type of record keeping. Such was the case with Bayeux Tapestry. This remarkable work of embroidery recounts the events leading up to the Norman invasion of 1066, when William, Duke of Normandy, went to England to face King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings.

Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry measures approximately 230 feet 20 inches and depicts a total of 70 scenes, although experts believe some panels may be missing. One panel in particular gets a lot of attention because it appears to show Halley's Comet, making it one of the oldest recorded images of the famous comet.

Who and where made the Bayeux Tapestry?

The tapestry was so named because it hung in Bayeux Cathedral in Normandy since at least 1476, but locally, it is known as Queen Matilda's Tapestry because of the design and stitching of the Queen, the wife of William the Conqueror. is credited for helping. Tapestry with his lady-in-waiting. Other experts argue that Queen Matilda may have had a hand in the embroidery, but it was her husband's half-brother, Bishop Odo, who began the work. It may also have been appointed by the abbot of Canterbury named Queen Edith of Scoland or Wessex. Some researchers believe that Edith hid secret messages in a tapestry so that the British would know how to usurp the Normans.

Another subject of controversy is where the Bayeux Tapestry was made. The people of Normandy argue that it was embroidered in France, but some experts believe that it was created in England based on the style of embroidery and the colors of the wool threads, whose colors were native to the country. were residents.

The Bayeux Tapestry Today

Today, the Bayeux Tapestry no longer hangs in the cathedral of its namesake. It is on display at the nearby Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux, where it is still studied by scholars, historians and scientists. Mysteries can still be revealed in needlework, which has been called one of the greatest achievements of the Norman Romanesque era.