Harold ll (Harold Godwinson) was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England because, unfortunately for him, he lived in times when there were several foreign claimants to the English throne. The Bayeux Tapestry records his demise at the hands of William, Duke of Normandy, subsequently dubbed William the Conqueror, the victor of the famous Battle of Hastings.
The Bayeux Tapestry and other Norman sources state that Harold had sworn an oath to William confirming his entitlement to the English throne when Harold’s brother-in-law, Edward the Confessor, died childless. William, incensed when Harold assumed the throne for himself, promptly raised an army and an armada of 700 ships and set sail for England.
Meanwhile, a Danish usurper Harold Hardrada, made land in Yorkshire and prepared to march his army south. King Harold force-marched his army from London to York in just four days and took the Danes by surprise, killing Hardrada.
News then reached Harold the French had landed at Pevensey (Norman’s Bay) on the Sussex coast forcing Harold to march his weary men back 240 miles south to confront the French at Senlac Hill, near present day Battle. On the 14 October 1066 the two armies clashed, with nine hours bloody hand-to-hand combat during which Harold was killed. So began the Norman era.
The Bayeux Tapestry, actually an embroidered linen cloth, was created for William around 1070, commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William’s half-brother. Across 58 scenes, depicting 41 ships, 627 human figures, 200 equines, 35 dogs, 500 birds and miscellaneous creatures, and 33 buildings, the Tapestry depicts the events leading up to that infamous day and the Norman conquest.
The Tapestry can be viewed by the public at the British Museum from 10 September at a price of £33. Sounds expensive, but at 224 feet in length it equates to just 15p per foot!
Over the years there have been copies and several renditions of parts of the Tapestry, but none quite like the brilliant pen-and-ink cartoon drawings by Pevensey based artist Mervyn Long on the theme of then and now. You can see more of Mervyn’s humorous works on Facebook and Instagram and prints are available to purchase. Contact email: mervsdailydiary@aol.com
