Hundreds of thousands of tiny wool stitches sewn by unknown women became the first news banner telling the story of the 1066 Battle of Hastings. The Bayeux Tapestry is 230 ft.x 20 in.
It tells the story of *William the Conqueror's defeat of King Harald Godwinson for the English crown in 58 scenes. The Battle changed English history and culture.
Legend has it Queen Matilda, William's wife commissioned it, but Bishop Odo, William's half brother was also said to be responsible. The first historical mention was in an inventory of the Bayeux Cathedral in 1476.
Although I knew of the tapestry, I didn't expect to see an exact duplicate of it when my train broke down in Reading England. It was three hours before the next to London.
What to do?
The Reading Museum provided shelter from the rain and more interesting than a café. Displayed was a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry. The original was on my bucket list, but not in my immediate future.
Elizabeth Wardle, a member of the Leek Embroidery Society, had seen the original and felt England should have its own copy. She made it happen in 1885. Plagiarism in wool?
On a trip to France to meet old friends, my husband and I saw the original. I could imagine women sitting on stools, buckets of green, brown, black and red colored yarn at their feet, dipping their needles in and out as the story took shape.
At the souvenir shop -- there's always a souvenir shop --I bought a metal tray with one of the scenes. I use the tray daily.
The original tapestry was shipped to the UK for display this week. Over 100,000 tickets have already been sold.
What a story. Artists and seamstresses as reporters. Their work survived peace and war through the ages.
*Note: It was a thrill to stand at the tomb of William the Conqueror. Only a thigh bone is said to remain. Yet, to be in the same place as even part of a historic figure who changed history in 1066 brings the story to real life in my mind.
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