"Bayeaux Tapestry - book, accuracy?" Topic

I'd like a resource – in color – for the bayeaux tapestry. Should I get a book or is the entire thing on line somewhere?

hastings1066.com

Also, how accurate is it for depicting the clothes, weapons etc, given the medium and the context? Can I use it to copy shield and banner designs?

It's as accurate as any primary source material could be.

You can see at least part of it online: sd-editions.com/bayeux
I don't have a copy of the digital version so cannot really comment on that. However, I would recommend David M. Wilson, 2004. The Bayeux Tapestry (London: Thames & Hudson). Amazon has it at £25.00 GBP ( link ) with cheaper offers from other sellers there. Abebooks might have it cheaper. It's a glorious work and you can clearly see the stitching. This means you can see that there was once an arrow in the eye of the chap getting cut down by a horseman under the statement 'hic Harold rex interfectus est'. There is also a commentary that highlights the problems of interpreting the tapestry thanks to well-meaning 19th century interventions, and discusses the tapestry in terms of how accurate it is as a source. I love my copy of this book.

You can see at least part of it online: sd-editions.com/bayeux

Or the whole of it online at the link I provided above.

It's the very first comic book as far as I am concerned. Made for the masses and it tells the story brilliantly with numbered panels. I just got back Thursday from visiting the UK, Normandy, and Bayeux and seeing it in person. Incredible experience!

It should be said that the work was done by nuns without direct experience of combat. Note that the tapestry is where we got the erroneous idea of Normans wearing 'mailed culottes', because the embroiderers had problems showing the split hauberk used by horsemen. 1970s wargames ranges all had some dodgy Normans wearing uncomfortable metal shorts.

Or the whole of it online at the link I provided above

Given that I was typing when you posted, I did not see your comment before linking, MajorB. That said, the zoom is better at the link I gave, and the book is better still.

Hi

Sorry nazrat I think Egyptian temples are the first comic book.

I have it from Nat Geo, maybe late 1960's

There's a full-size copy in Reading (UK, Berkshire) museum: entry is free.
Quite impressive and with good written commentary – somewhat cheaper than travelling from the UK to Northern France!
bayeuxtapestry.org.uk

E-bay has the National Geographic August 1966 issue which has a multi-page foldout of the Bayeaux Tapestry. auction

The CD edition by Martin K. Foys (Scholarly Digital Editions 2003 is the one I have) is excellent as a study tool for computer.

There are seven colors of wool yarn used in the Tapestry. Multicolored horses. Odd distortions in an already distorted medium. So "historically accurate" of course needs qualifying.

The "metal pants" quip above is a case in point (btw, we do not know who stitched it, and asserting that "nuns" did it is as accurate as asserting that duchess Matilda and her ladies in waiting did it). Details are reduced to simplicity. It seems apparent that the work was not a leisurely one.

As best evidence points to the BT being an early work, I've always considered it our best pictorial source for arms and armor in NW Europe of the period. And I have copied, borrowed, as many shield designs from it for my wargame miniatures as possible….

There have been some restorations which may have introduced some changes – the 19th century copy has some differences to the original.

Some larger details of all the sections can be found at Bayeux Tapestry

Druzhina
11th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

Mexican jack, I have large numbers of 1970s Normans. They have utterly conventional split skirt, long mailcoats. The mailed shorts on the Tapestry do look truly horrible, however, there are a coupke of points that may be made in favour of the armoured trouser thesis..

1) There is a portion of a sculptural relief, from Winchester I believe, that shows a pair of mail shorts being worn. Maybe they are being misrepresented in the same way as on the tapestry, but people at the time are quite capable of representing a split skirt.
2) On the Tapestry itself there are representations of tunics that are conventional and shown with a full skirt. There are also cloth depictions on the Tapestry of the shorts, but done in material. If the embroiderers were capable of accurately representing a lobg tunic then why show some as the shorts.?

I saw this as a kid. I remember buying a fold out book of the thing, don't know if you can still get it. Used to string it through my parents house.

The frieze book. I bought one back in 2002. But I have no idea if it is still printed. I bought mine from Glen Ray Crack at MajorB's link above….

Was that what it was called? I got mine in 1975 at the tapestry. Awe inspiring to look at.

I agree. The Tapestry "in the flesh" is hugely satisfying to study. I looked it over for more than three hours back in 2006. And I hope to see it again late next year, if all goes as planned, and the Real World does not melt down or blow itself up by/before then….