Cross stich kits and charts - Bayeux Tapestry

The names of the Bayeux Tapestry

In the historical documents evoking the Bayeux Tapestry, it was named in different ways. One can find the Telle du Conquest (the cloth of the conquest), in all logic because it depicts the conquest of England by William the Conqueror. It is also known as the cloth of Saint John, maybe because it was displayed at this period of the year (the summer solstice)? It is also often referred to as the tapestry of Queen Mathilda, wife of William the Conqueror. However, it would appear that she had nothing to do with the Bayeux Tapestry and indeed, she does not appear in it.

The people depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry contains hundreds of characters, but four stand out in particular: William, Edward, Harold and Odon.

William, Duke of Normandy

William was the illegitimate son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, which earned him the nickname of William the Bastard. Born in Falaise in the department of Calvados, he succeeded his father when he was only 8 years old. He married a distant cousin, Mathilda, the only daughter of Count Baldwin V of the House of Flanders. He was crowned King of England in 1066 after his victory at the Battle of Hastings and was hence known as William the Conqueror. He was one of the most powerful monarchs of the Middle Ages.

King Edward of England

Edward, called the Confessor as a reflection of his image of great piety, was the son of Æthelred the Unready and his second wife, Emma of Normandy. He spent a large part of his early life in exile in Normandy following the conquest of England in 1016 by the Danish king Cnut. His mother married Cnut and gave birth to Harthacnut. Cnut died in 1035, succeeded by Harthacnut as Kind of Denmark. Edward is called back to England by Harthacnut to succeed him on the throne of England in 1042. His marriage to Edith, daughter of Godwin, was childless and it is thought that he turned to his cousin, William of Normandy, to plan his succession.

Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon king

Harold was the brother in law of Edward the Confessor, from the powerful Godwin of Wessex family, whose wealth was immense and the lands they owned represented roughly a third of England. He became head of the anti-Norman clan and acceded to the throne in 1066, despite his promise to Edward that he would bring William from Normandy to succeed him. Harold would meet his death by the hands of William later that year at the famous Battle of Hastings.

Odo, Bishop of Bayeux

Odo was the half-brother of William, by his mother Herleva. William appointed him Bishop of Bayeux and he remained ever-faithful to his half-brother, following him to Hastings. He would become Count of Kent, turning into one of the richest and most powerful men in the land, even replacing the King during his absences. It is widely agreed that he commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry, having the necessary resources to accomplish a commission of this size. The tapestry was his way of legitimising the conquest of England by exposing it in a religious edifice.

The composition of the Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry consists of 58 scenes and no less than 626 characters, 202 horses, 41 boats and 37 edifices. The main scenes take place in the central space, with borders at the top or bottom adding a bit of spice to the picture. Among the numerous characters, there is only one woman, Ælfgyva. Theories differ as to who she is: William’s daughter, a witch, or even a woman of immoral thoughts. It is not clear if the cleric at her side is slapping her or caressing her.

Copies and replicas of the Bayeux Tapestry

In 1885, Elizabeth Wardle, member of the Leek Embroidery Society, decided to make an exact replica of the Bayeux Tapestry so that England could also have their own copy. Her husband, Thomas Wardle, a master clothes dyer, produced the wools in the appropriate colours. 35 seasoned embroiderers took over a year to produce the copy, accurate apart from a few small changes. The prudish embroiderers added pants to some of the men who, on the original tapestry, were proudly showing off their genitalia! This replica was first displayed in Leek in 1886. It then travelled around the world, including South Africa. This replica is now exhibited in the Reading Museum in Berkshire. In more recent times, a Swedish lady, Mia Hannson, set herself a mission in 2016 to make a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry. She hopes to finish the mammoth task in 2027! As a thoroughly modern take, the illustrator Aled Lewis embroidered in cross stitch in a Bayeux style, episodes 1 to 6 of Star Wars!

The Bayeux Tapestry according to Maison Sajou

Our kits and cross stitch charts have many scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry. Each one is presented in detail on our site. You will find these explanations on the pattern charts.

See how Frederique Crestin-Billet designed the Bayeux Embroidery in Madame Sajou’s Diary.
See the details of scenes from the Bayeux Embroidery in cross stitch 
See the video explanation of the Maison Sajou Bayeux Embroidery