Is the Bayeux Tapestry really a brilliant example of Norman propaganda? We explore some of the misconceptions around it, and learn more about its origins.
Listen to the Episode
What You’ll Hear
- 0:57: It’s not really a tapestry at all!
- 1:31: Why is it propaganda?
- 2:10: How Harold is depicted
- 3:19: The Fate of the Tapestry
After the Battle of Hastings, Britain had a new Norman king, claiming the throne he’d been promised (allegedly) by the old king, Edward the Confessor. The Bayeux Tapestry is a testament to the efforts of William and his soldiers.
However, things aren’t quite what they seem with the Bayeux Tapestry. Firstly, it’s not a tapestry at all. In fact, it’s made up of nine panels of linen, stretching over 68 metres, and embroidered with fine stitching.
A tapestry, on the other hand, involves threads woven by hand on a loom. The word ‘tapestry’ comes from the French ‘tapisserie’ – to carpet or to cover with heavy fabric.”
Another misconception about the Tapestry is that Queen Matilda was so devoted to her husband that she rallied her ladies in waiting to get sewing, possibly even to distract themselves while the battle was raging. In fact, it’s believed that it was made by Anglo-Saxon embroiderers.
The Propaganda Behind the Tapestry
And what of the propaganda element? Well, it was commissioned for the Norman victors, most likely by William’s half-brother, the Bishop Odo (“OH-DOE”), in around 1076.
Odo WAS really a cleric, but he spent most of his time fighting in wars or serving as aa statesman, which would fit with the idea of the tapestry being designed to promote the heroic Normans and belittle the losers.
The Battle of Hastings is only one of the stories told on the Bayeux Tapestry, and the events leading up to it are all depicted. Harold is shown as disloyal, petulant and greedy. As soon as Edward the Confessor died, he snatched the crown, despite having promised both the old king and the duke that he would support William’s succession to the throne.
Harold had been sent to support William in his battle against the Bretons, but is captured before he even gets to his cousin. After his release, he fights alongside the Normans to victory. However, they are suspicious of him and force him to swear loyalty.
While Harold’s betrayal is carefully documented on the tapestry, there’s no mention anywhere of his decisive defeat over the Norwegian Harald Hardrada, or the fact that, having marched all the way to Stamford Bridge, he and his army had to head back down south to fight the Normans and French (not the same thing at that time) three weeks later.
Where Was the Tapestry?
Odo had the Tapestry hung in the Cathedral at Bayeux, although for much of the time it was stored in a wooden chest in the vestry and only brought out and displayed in the nave on the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings.
This pattern continued for the next 700 years, and, according to the Tapestry website, it wasn’t mentioned in any documents or cathedral records. During the French Revolution, the Tapestry narrowly avoided being cut up into wagon covers for soldiers, which was apparently a local tradition.
At this time, Léonard Lambert-Leforestier, a local lawyer, rescued it and was deemed worthy of new appreciation. In 1794, it was seized on behalf of the nation by the Arts Commission for the Bayeux district, with the intention of preserving and protecting it.
It was first displayed in 1812. It’s moved around a bit, but it’s now on display in its own museum. It will also be on display in the British Museum in the autumn of 2026.
This episode was inspired by a blog about Newcastle’s Castle Keep, which mentions the Bayeux Tapestry.
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