History is told by the winner, and the famous Bayeux Tapestry (actually an embroidery, to be picky about it) is no exception. Harold claimed the throne of England. William, over in Normandy, thought he'd been promised the throne. In 1066, William took his troops over the channel to England, Harold was killed at Hastings, William of Normandy took the throne of England, and that's why the English language today has a whole lot of French in it. To commemorate the event, the ladies of William's side embroidered the tapestry, entirely from the Norman point of view (Harold's people had a slightly different take on the matter), over 70 meters of history, graphic violence, and naughty bits in the margins. The original graphic novel, if you will.
Now see it in animation, with soundtrack!
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Friday, October 23, 2009
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1 comment:
OMG This makes my not-so-hidden inner English historian squeal with joy. Thank you for sharing!
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