THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY
France
The Norman Conquest, Woven in Linen
It's the world's greatest comic strip. The Bayeux Tapestry, technically an embroidery, documents the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest.
We explore this cheeky document and tell its tale: the story of 1066, that most crucial year in English history. It's the tale of Edward the Confessor, powerful earl Harold Godwinson, one-man military machine Harald Hardrada, and William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy. There's battles, invasions, and an insane amount of luck, and the Tapestry covers it all. Or rather the parts it wants to cover.
I've wanted to tell this story since I started the podcast. I hope you enjoy it. Plus, there's an apple pie at the end you won't want to miss.
Sources:
Bridgeford, Andrew. 1066: the Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry
Harper, Damian and Catherine Le Nevez. Lonely Planet Road Trips: Normandy & D-Day Beaches
Howarth, David. 1066: the Year of the Conquest
Marren, Peter. 1066: the Battles of York, Stamford Bridge & Hastings
Morris, Marc. The Norman Conquest: The Battle of Hastings and the Fall of Anglo-Saxon England
Rick Steves France
Wilson, David M. The Bayeux Tapestry