Bayeux Tapestry (Experience-Letter) - Essay Example

? Essay, History and Political Science Topic: Bayeux Tapestry Experience- Letter. Here is a marvel that interests the solider and the artist and that is a strange combination. This 70 meters long wonder of art, just 20 inches high, is a historical document, and reveals more than a war-book for an imaginative and creative mind. The Bayeux Tapestry is produced in the 11th century and that its strokes by the artists and the colors used have beaten the vagaries of weather and time, speaks about its magnificence. The plates tell us a great detail about Norman and Saxon history. “The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events leading up to and during the Battle of Hastings. The events are all told from a Norman point of view. The Bayeux Tapestry is a tribute to William the Conqueror and his successful invasion of England, which brought about the end of the Anglo-Saxon reign of England and started the claim of the crown by Norman leaders.” (The Bayeux, n. p.)Many colors are used for the creation of this Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story, but its own story remains untold, and if it is told, it lacks veracity. Its origin, the reasons for its origin and its creators are not definitely known. The Tapestry is enmeshed in a web of controversy as for its genesis. Amidst the thick of the battle or immediately after the battle in whose mind such a poetic and artistic idea must have dawned? That individual cannot be a fire-brand, gun wielding general. He could be an art-loving King who has won the battle or a philosopher-historian. “Bishop Odo was William the Conqueror’s half-brother, and Odo features in the Bayeux Tapestry. As well as being William’s brother, the finished tapestry fits nicely inside the nave of the Bayeux Cathedral, suggesting that the Bayeux Tapestry is designed specifically for Odo and his cathedral. If this is the case, then Bishop Odo would have been responsible for approving the plans, designs and scenes created for the Bayeux Tapestry”.(The Bayeux, n. p.) So, religion and politics both play part in the making of this Tapestry As I move near the Tapestry and study it from the closest angle possible, I feel as if a spokesperson has materialized from it and he speaks in a low voice that is audible to me only and not to other tourists who have come in a group to see it. That voice says, “I am a mere wall-hanging, an object of art to the one who views me thus. Only a few realize the historical facts that go in my creation, the battles that it represents, and I think you are one of them. I am part of the pages of human history daubed in bloodshed. My design is mysterious and my story is appalling. Unless you are serious student of history, a researcher, you will not be able to recognize me. Am I right? Instead of inviting you to identify me, instead of beating about the bush on the preliminaries related to this tapestry, let me introduce myself to you. Lifestyles have changed; the dress codes for the fighting forces have changed. The modern fashion designers will not be able to make the head and tail of our dresses.” The voice continues, “I am Vital, a vassal of bishop Odo. Army moves and positioning of soldiers is one of the trickiest assignments in the era to which we belong. The moves and countermoves are decided on the basis of day to day reporting by those who are posted in the forward scouting positions. Just as the tapestry designs change in relation to the fashion trends, the moves in war change as per the demand of the strategy, tactics and allied issues prevailing on the decision making time. I, along with two others, am in charge of supervising the work on the Tapestry. Scouting is important in that era, to know the battle-ready position of the enemy and to plan the counter moves. I am part of the forward scouting positions. So, while creating the Tapestry, I am in a position to give the exact details as to the happenings in the battle front. You are amazed to see the type of dress we the soldiers wear and some of the special items that the present day soldiers might not have seen. For example, “Mail leggings - tied above the knee - are more common than the supplemental armor for the forearms - tied to the harness under the hauberk. But it was rare to see full mail in this period, and apparently only the richest knights and great lords could afford it.”(Bayeux, n. p.) The Bayeux Tapestry is completed in the 1070s, many years after William’s victory in the Battle of Hastings; it has gone through a very bad period. “During the French Revolution, the tapestry was confiscated with the intention of using it as a covering for military wagons. Luckily, it was hidden by a local lawyer and kept safe until the troubles were over.” (James, n.p.) Having said this much, the voice merges in one of the plates of the Tapestry. I hasten to ask the voice, ‘But who actually made the Tapestry, whose craftsmanship it was’? The voice dismisses my question with the mysterious laughter. There are several legends, and I am not yet able to gather evidence, in support of any of the stories. They can by any one from the following categories, workers from England, skilled nuns from England or specially engaged craftsmen. The place where it is commissioned is also subject to speculations and the names of Winchester and Canterbury are mentioned. The Tapestry, whose production begins in the year 1067, is completed in 1077. In conclusion, I can only say this much. A lot has been written on the subject, and for a thorough research, it may take many years, and the conclusions may create another controversy to the existing ones. …..here I must stop. But the story of Tapestry is too big, it canvas is vast, it has covered the stories of Kings of England, 597 men and 3 women,200 horses, dogs, about 40 buildings and ships, 50 trees and Latin inscriptions and letters. Bayeux Tapestry is indeed a massive conglomeration of various art works related to the battles, and the strategies with which the wars are fought in that era. References Bayeux Tapestry: The armies of Harold II and William the ... – Angelfire, n.d. Web: http://www.angelfire.com/…x_tapestry/sect37_39.html, Accessed on May 11, 2013 James. The Bayeux Tapestry: Facts and Information | Primary Facts. The Normans.n.d. March 1, 2013 Web: http://primaryfacts.com/…try-facts-and-information/, Accessed on May 11, 2013 The Bayeux Tapestry | Middle Ages - The Finer Times, n.d. Web: http://www.thefinertimes.com/…-bayeux-tapestry.html, Accessed on May 11, 2013 Read More