Bringing Back the Bayeux Tapestry: One Stitch at a Time

Close up of stitching, c. 1070

Only a few years after William the Conqueror's conquest of England in 1066, the famous Battle of Hastings was commemorated in the Bayeux Tapestry. Historians date this piece as completed in 1070 CE, only six years after the Battle of Hastings. Since it's creation, all 75 panels have been a source of awe. The stitchwork itself shows incredible detail in order to tell an incredible story. Notably, the Bayeux Tapestry is not a true tapestry because the images were stitched onto the linen, not into the linen itself. Regardless of the "tapestry-ness" of the piece, the craftsmanship of the Bayeux Tapestry is amazing.

In recent times, people across the world have tried to make copies of the original tapestry, from a scrolling recreating on paper to quilted reimaginings of the original story, each new rendition maintains the grandeur of the original.

One of the most widely distributed recreations is on mica-coated paper which allows for the impersonation of stitches. The paper itself is about 43 meters (about 141 feet) and encased in a table with a glass top to enable viewing. Printed and produced by The Folio Society in England, their hope in making all 480 recreations is that they would be put in libraries and schools to encourage a closeness of English history to the modern day.

Bayeux Tapestry by Annette Banks, William is crowned King of England

Another recreation of the Bayeux Tapestry exists in a very colorful and quilted form, done by Annette Banks in the early 2000s. Banks was diagnosed with hyperactivity and Cushing's Syndrome, which stunted her life expectancy. However, with a passion for English history and a talent in sewing and stitching, Banks was encouraged by her father to recreate the famous tapestry. Her final work was around 51 feet long and much brighter than the original. Pictured to the right is Banks' recreation of the Bayeux Tapestry.








References:

Beardsley, Eleanor. “Reviving the Rich Legacy of the Bayeux Tapestry.” NPR, NPR, 26 Dec. 2005, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5069696.

Gladstone, Richard. “Recreation of Famous Bayeux Tapestry.” News, Rye & Battle Observer, 2 June 2017, www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/news/recreation-of-famous-bayeux-tapestry-1-7990381.

Shearing, Sue. “Woman Recreates Bayeux Tapestry in 20 Year Bid to Beat Hyperactivity.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 29 Nov. 2006, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-419494/Woman-recreates-Bayeux-tapestry-20-year-bid-beat-hyperactivity.html.

Tanton, Kristine. “The Bayeux Tapestry.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, 2018, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/bayeux-tapestry.

The Tomb of William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror had a complicated life when it came to love. In 1051, Pope Leo IX disapproved of his marriage to Matilda of Flanders. It is theorized that this was because of their "excessively close kinship" as fifth cousins, or second marriages of Matilda's parents that would invalidate her heritage. Leo's successor, Nicholas II, pardoned their marriage as long as they built two abbeys and four hospitals. Matilda commissioned the Abbey of Sainte-Trinité, and William Saint-Etienne.


The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as the Mens' Abbey or Abbaye aux Hommes, was founded in 1063 and consecrated in 1077. Its structure served as the model for Norman abbeys in England. The exterior is Romanesque and spans three levels, with two symmetric towers marking the original point of entry.

William was buried in the choir of the abbey in 1087. A little beloved ruler, his body was held in Rouen, France, for three weeks before it was transported to its resting place at Caen. The corpse was bloated from heat and the king's late gluttony and burst when it was lowered into the grave. The grave marker, placed in the nineteenth century, is written in Latin and reads, "Here lies the invincible William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, founder of this edifice, deceased in 1087."

The original monastery was destroyed in religious wars of 1562 and 1563, though the church still stands with its eleventh century architecture. The choir was remodeled in the fifteenth century in the Gothic style. Because the tomb was opened and vandalised several times, all that remains of William the Conqueror is a thigh bone.

Works Cited

"The Men's Abbey." The Epic Adventure: In the Footsteps of William the Conqueror. Calvados Tourist Board, 2018.  http://william-the-conqueror.co.uk/the-mens-abbey/.

Serena, Katie. "Gross! William the Conqueror's Body Exploded on People at His Funeral." All That's Interesting, 1 December 2017. Updated 13 July 2018. https://allthatsinteresting.com/william-the-conqueror.

Douglas, David C. "William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England," Appendix C. University of California Press, 1967. Retrieved from Erenow.com. https://erenow.com/biographies/william-the-conqueror-the-norman-impact-upon-england/21.html.

Doom's Day: How a Census Bolstered Royal Power

After the defeat of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror's reign over the kingdom of England was one of peace and serenity... right? Not exactly. In 1085, nineteen years after William's own invasion, the Danes were at his door. To better prepare for the Danish attack, William commissioned the Domesday Book -- an early census containing information on the resources and taxable items held by all the manors in England.

The Domesday Book stands as a testament to the significant expansion of the royal administration, and bears evidence to William's consolidation of royal authority. The record allowed William to see which lord owned what, how much it was worth, and how much each lord owed him in taxes and military services. By recording such details, William was able to recover his royal rights and maximize revenues and military conscription. Moreover, it eliminated any dissent as the names of the King's barons and churchmen who held lands were also record, thus any attempts to dispute a tax demand where rendered fruitless.

It appears not much as changed, as the people of England, much like some people of today, were not the biggest fans of taxes, hence "Domesday Book." Once called the Winchester or King's Roll, the Domesday Book was granted its current title from the Dialogus de Sacarrio -- a book written about the exchequer in c.1176. With "Domesday" sounding quite similar to "Dooms Day," it is often believed that the title is a metaphor for the day of judgement because, much like the judgement of your soul, its records and decisions were final. 

Words Cited:

Bennet, Judith M. Medieval Europe: A Short History. 11th ed., McGraw-Hill.

National Archives. “Domesday Book - Survey and Making of Domesday.” The National Archives,    The National Archives, 26 Apr. 2017, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday/discover-domesday/making-of-domesday.htm.

National Archives. “Discover Domesday.” The National Archives, The National Archives, 26 Apr. 2017, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday/discover-domesday/.

The Unique Find from Silacwine

William the Conqueror (or as known by some as William the Bastard) is mostly remembered as being the first Norman King of England. Although distantly related to King Edward the Confessor (reigning from 1042-1066), he still had a legitimate claim to the throne--and succeeded in taking the crown. He ruled from 1066 until his death in 1087, establishing an aristocratic regime and erecting numerous castles throughout the land, strengthening royal power. He helped transform England into what it is today and is an important figure in the history of the Middle Ages--even being depicted in the famous Bayeux Tapestry with his half-brothers.

Just recently, in 2011, a hammered silver coin was found in England. This find was actually a unique silver penny of William himself dated from around 1077 to 1080. Engraved into the face of the coin are the words "PILLELM X" translating to "William the King" along with his face. On the reverse side is a cross pattée and the words, "[S]ILIACPINC ON GLI" translating to "Silacwine of Gloucester", the name of the moneyer. This amazing discovery was the first and only example of coins minted in Gloucester in that time period and that "the discovery of this coin therefore proves that the mint was in operation throughout the whole reign of William I" ('Unique'). During his reign, William the Conqueror had at least 70 mints producing coins. 
History is once again proven to be fascinating when artifacts like this one are discovered. There are many missing pieces, but when one puzzle gets solved, the picture always turns out to be worth it.










Works Cited:

Bennett, Judith M. Medieval Europe: A Short History. McGraw-Hill, 2011.

'Unique' 11th Century coin discovered near Gloucester

Unique William the Conqueror silver penny found

Regal Runes: A history of the Germanic and Norse alphabets

                                    The earliest accepted example of Germanic runic writing is the inscription found on the Meldorf Brooch (dated to around 50 CE in northern Germany). It possibly reads "Hiwi" meaning spouse or husband. I theorize that this might have been a wedding gift or a "bride price" of sorts or perhaps a good luck charm/talisman for al  newlywed couple.

The ancient Germanic Tribes and their Norse cousins who followed their example centuries later are unfairly characterized as barbaric, ignorant, and illiterate. This couldn't be any more untrue than it already is. For quite some time the peoples of Germania and Scandinavia had knowledge of a functional alphabet long before the introduction of Christianity into Northern and Central Europe. While in its early stages it wasn't as sophisticated or as legible as the Roman and Greek alphabets the development of the "Futhark" script was still a significant cultural achievement (besides the Celts, the Norse and the Germanic Peoples were the only "Barbarian" group to develop their own writing system independent of Christian missionary activity).

This is the Negau helmet which was found in Slovenia and was dated to 400BCE . This is the earliest example of the Germanic language being put in writing. It reads "harikastiteiva" it is generally read as Harigast the priest. The helmet itself dates back to 400 BCE but the inscription itself was most likely added around 200 BCE.

The First example of a Germanic language being written down is inscribed on the Negau helmet. It is written in the Etruscan Alphabet which Germanic Runes likely evolved from. There are artifacts of a similar type scattered throughout the Alpine Region (the ancient contact zone between the Celtic, Italic, and Germanic peoples) and it shows how quickly the Germanic tribes were able to appropriate a foreign script and adapt it for their own purposes. As runes became a uniquely Germanic alphabet they became to be used in a uniquely Germanic/Norse context. They were associated with magic, strength, and wisdom, and they are often connected to Wotan(Odin). Runic inscriptions of this type are often found on spearheads and jewelry.
A golden disk found in Funen Denmark the inscription reads:
"houaz laþu aaduaaaliia a" 
The term houaz is a cognate with Norse
hávi meaning Odin 

 The runic alphabet did not disappear following the romanization and Christianization of Germany. The Norse and for a time the Anglo Saxons, themselves Germanic peoples continued to make use of runes creating beautiful works of art and stunning rune stones. 

 In conclusion despite their depiction in popular culture the Germanic peoples and the Scandinavians actually have a literary and material culture dating back 200 years before the year zero and all the way into the middle ages! As people today often view Europe as a monolithic cultural block of sameness I believe that it is important to look back on the values and talent of the ancient and medieval cultures for inspiration. After all we will all lose a great part of our global heritage by ignoring this extraordinary cultural history that has been intentionally written in stone for the benefit of future generations.

works cited:
 National Museum of Denmark

Norse Mythology For Smart People

Revolvy

The Development of Old Germanic Alphabets  

Talisman of Charlemagne

As we are learning about Charlemagne I was very interested in some of the artifacts that came around this time, but one that I found is so elegant, the piece is called Talisman of Charlemagne. This piece is a huge necklace sapphire encrusted with pure gold and precious gems. It was also said to be named The Talisman of Charlemagne, because supposedly in 800 Charlemagne was Crowed the Holy Roman Emperor of all of Europe all because he chased the Lombard’s out of Europe, one year after his crowning according to L’Ecole School of Jewelry Arts the piece was made and given to Charlemagne by either the Harun al Rashid or Queen Irene of Constantinople.

After Charlemagne had received the Talisman of Charlemagne it was said by many historians that he had worn it, in battle and he was buried with it, but because he had been unburied so many times the Talisman was taken out of his grave and given to Josephine de Beauharnais, she held on to it for the rest of her live until; She then leaves it to her daughter who love Talismans very much, she even made them to give to people, so on it made it way to Empress Eugenie. When Empress Eugenie was later confronted to return it to Aix-la- Chapelle, but because of I believe World War I she Changes her mind and gives it to the Cathedral of Lies you can actually go see it today.  

Real live picture of Talisman of Charlemagne

Works Cited

Students of Occult History, Los Angeles. “The Talisman of Charlemagne.” Students of Occult History, www.studentsocculthistory.com/talisman-of-charlemagne.html

Joailliers, Itinéraires. “Charlemagne's Talisman at the Palais Du Tau, Reims.” The French Jewelry Post by Sandrine Merle, 9 May 2017, www.thefrenchjewelrypost.com/en/it-joailliers/talisman-de-charlemagne-palais-tau/.

Unknown. “The Talisman of Charlemagne.” L'École Des Arts Joailliers, 31 Mar. 2016, www.lecolevancleefarpels.com/en/video/talisman-charlemagne.