The Bayeux Tapestry (Alchin)
The great Anglo-Saxon period generated an expansive lineage of approximately 170 kings, a lineage that would come to an end in 1066 with the death of King Harold II 'Godwinsson' (Levick). This noteworthy ruler and general would only hold the crown for a brief nine months, having his reign cut short by a Norman invasion under William the Conqueror. During his reign, King Harold had little impact as a ruler and would have fallen into the obscurity of history if it had not been his death being the causation of one of the most prestigious pieces of medieval artwork of all time, the Bayeux Tapestry (Alchin). The Bayeux Tapestry as described by Alchin is that, “It is not actually a tapestry at all - it is an embroidery… The Bayeux tapestry consists
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This would give William’s troops a great advantage in the upcoming battle, attributing to King Harold’s loss. In an attempt to intercept and surprise William’s forces Harold would forcibly march his army roughly two hundred and forty miles towards Hastings, arriving on October fourteenth (Broe). Once there a nine hour battle would ensue in which William’s men struggled to take down Harold’s solder’s shield wall in which the men would line up with interlocking shields to form an impenetrable barrier, but once William’s cavalry broke through the shielded lines the battle was lost for Harold and he was defeated, this serving as the primary focus of The Bayeux Tapestry (Levick). With the most famous single picture being one that portrays a defeated King Harold being shot in the eye with an arrow killing him before he is dismembered by Duke William’s men. This would come to be known as The Battle of Hastings and the end of the lineage of the Kings of the Anglo-Saxon period
This would give William’s troops a great advantage in the upcoming battle, attributing to King Harold’s loss. In an attempt to intercept and surprise William’s forces Harold would forcibly march his army roughly two hundred and forty miles towards Hastings, arriving on October fourteenth (Broe). Once there a nine hour battle would ensue in which William’s men struggled to take down Harold’s solder’s shield wall in which the men would line up with interlocking shields to form an impenetrable barrier, but once William’s cavalry broke through the shielded lines the battle was lost for Harold and he was defeated, this serving as the primary focus of The Bayeux Tapestry (Levick). With the most famous single picture being one that portrays a defeated King Harold being shot in the eye with an arrow killing him before he is dismembered by Duke William’s men. This would come to be known as The Battle of Hastings and the end of the lineage of the Kings of the Anglo-Saxon period