Read All About It!

 A brief report on the trip to the Museum last week. I was glad we got there early - the hi-viz guy at the gate encouraged us to get in the line straightaway. There was efficient management of the queue, quite a lot of walking involved from where you go in to the exhibition to the point where you encounter the tapestry. By that point you are all [in theory] shuffling along at the correct pace. Here are just some of the panels which I particularly wanted to see,

Panel 1 - Edward the Confessor. Famed for his milky white skin, and long, almost translucent fingers. His 'striped' stockings. I am inclined to agree with Mia H. - these only have the papearance of stripes becaus eof the way the couching has been stitched! Also the various pairs of animals in the borders. Moving on to Panel 4, four of Aesops Fables 

The Fox and the Cheese [flattery]
The Wolf and the Lamb [false accusations]

The Pregnant Bitch [Don't give away your possessions too easily]

The Wolf and the Crane [don't fight a predator]

These are in the lower border, and mirror the historical events depicted in the panel above them.

There was insufficient time to study panel 8 and look for the "cigar burn", allegedly done by a Nazi in WW2

Panels 17 & 18 show Harold's bravery when men were in the quicksands, pulling soldiers out of the danger. The border below shows a line of creatures all tagging the one in front..

An eel [out of sight on the left] bites a man, whose foot is in the mouth of a lion- whose tail is in the bird's beak, the birds wing is nipped by a boar , whose tail is tugged be a centaur. A wyvern looks on. I looked at Edward's death

...which was all too rapidly followed by Harold's coronation

There are 15 people named on the tapestry [only one a woman. Huh!] but at the King's left hand stands Archbishop Stigand. Who lived up the road from here. Yes really - prior to becoming archbishop, he was bishop of North Elmham [where our fish and chip shop is] and owned loads of land round central Norfolk. One street in Dereham is actually called "Stigand's Gate"

Obviously I was on the lookout for panel 32, and Halley's Comet - such an omen for them. I love the way they have depicted it!

The remainder of the tapestry I was studying the stitching [it is clear that women worked from both top and bottom of the fabric- so some were stitching upside down. And they didn't always match up very well with their opposite worker - so sometimes the chainmail is round, or diamond shaped, or square...

I mustn't forget to mention the Feast on panel 43, where the Bishop is blessing the food before they eat- lots of detail here. Picture at the bottom of post. Onto Panel 54, where Bishop Odo, believed to be the man behind the whole creation of the tapestry is shown strongly "encouraging" the troops by waving his club/mace at them. Priests were not supposed to shed blood so did not carry swords. Just a Very Big Heavy Stick!!

Panel 55, almost at the end- William lifts his helmet, to show his troops that he is still alive.  Panel 57 is One In The Eye For Harold [or maybe not - will we ever be sure that is him?] and then the whole thing tails off as whatever followed Panel 58 has been torn away. 

It was incredible realising just how old this is, that it was stitched without the aid of decent lighting [or spectacles] These women have done a phenomenal job, and done it so well.

When we came out of the darkened room where the tapestry was, we were immediately in the bright, light Gift Shop [as is always the case with these places!] 

Bob said I really ought to buy the BM Guidebook, as a memento of this visit, and it is indeed very informative and will get its own review here later. 

Apologies if this post is rather long, and picture heavy. Pictures came from Wikimedia, the BBC and the Observer. I can see why the BM has forbidden photography- it would delay everybody.

Bob did take a shot of me in the central area of the Museum by a display panel... just to prove I was there.