People in the Tapestry

Edward the Confessor, King of England, 1042-1066

Edward was the son of the Saxon King Ethelred (the Unready) and Emma, sister of Duke Richard II of Normandy. Emma later married Cnut, King of Denmark. Cnut became King of England and Edward went to live in exile in Normandy.

When Cnut died in 1042 his son Harthacnut was made King of England. But Harthacnut died without leaving an heir so Edward became King in 1042 and was crowned at Winchester in 1043. He ruled with the help of the powerful Saxon earls and married Edith, daughter of Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Edward invited many of his Norman friends to come to England; he gave them important jobs and land. He ordered the building of Westminster Abbey.

Because Edward had no children, he had to choose someone to succeed him. There were many claimants to the throne. One was Harold, Earl of Wessex, Edward's brother-in-law; another was Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, and a third was William, Duke of Normandy. The strongest claim was from Edgar Aetheling, Edward's great nephew who had been raised by Edward since 1057 when he was 4 years old. The Normans said that Edward had promised the throne to William, but Harold Godwinson was chosen to succeed Edward who died in January 1066.

Harold, King of England, Jan - Oct 1066

Harold had no hereditary claim on the throne - he was not of royal birth. He was the son of Godwin of Wessex, in his time the most powerful Saxon earl. Harold's sister, Emma, was married to Edward the Confessor and had at least five brothers. The tapestry shows us that Harold had fought with William against the Duke of Brittany and shows him swearing upon holy relics. When Edward the Confessor died Harold was chosen to be King of England by the leading Saxon noblemen.

Right away Harold had problems. His brother Tostig accompanied Harold Hardrada King of Norway when he invaded England. Both Hardrada and Tostig were killed by Harold's army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York. At the same time William of Normandy had brought his army to England to claim the throne. Harold marched from Stamford Bridge to London then on to Hastings where William's army waited.

The English and Norman armies fought bravely, but Harold with his brothers Gyrth and Leofwine were all killed. The tapestry tells us "here King Harold has been killed" - struck down by the sword of a mounted Norman soldier. After the Battle of Hastings Williams had an abbey built on the place where the battle had been fought, and the high altar is supposed to mark the spot where Harold was killed.

William of Normandy, King of England, 1066-1087

William's father was Duke Robert and his mother was Herleva who was a tanner's daughter. Duke Robert's great-great-grandfather was Rollo, a Viking who invaded France in 911. Although he was illegitimate William became Duke of Normandy when he was only seven years old - his father died on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. William's mother married the Viscount of Conteville and had two more sons - Odo and Robert.

William was a strong leader and wanted to become King of England. William led his army at the Battle of Hastings where Harold was killed and his army defeated. William then set about the conquest of England; he gave Norman barons pieces of land all over the country and in return they supported him in war and administered regions of England on the king's behalf.

During his reign William ordered the collection of information about the people in Britain and how much property they owned. This information was recorded in the Domesday Book. William died in 1087 after being injured when fighting in France.

Odo, Bishop of Bayeux

Odo's father was Herluin, Viscount of Conteville and his mother was Herleva who was also the mother of Duke William of Normandy. When Odo was only nineteen years old, William made him Bishop of Bayeux. He built a cathedral there.

When William was planning to invade England, Odo was at his side. He went with the Norman army and, as well as leading the prayers for victory, he fought in the battle. He carried a mace rather than a sword, because although men of the church were not allowed to spill blood, they were permitted to batter their opponents with a club.

Odo was made Earl of Kent and often ruled England when William was in Normandy. He was given great areas of land and he granted some of these areas to his knights. The tapestry may have been made in England to record the Norman victory and the part Odo played in it. The tapestry was later hung in his cathedral at Bayeux.

By 1082 William and Odo had fallen out. Odo was sent to prison in Rouen, and only released shortly before William died. He returned to England and plotted against William Rufus, the Conqueror's son, but was captured and banished to Bayeux. He died in Sicily in 1097 on a crusade to the Holy Land.

Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury

He is shown on the Tapestry playing a prominent position at Harold's coronation. Because his appointment as Archbishop was disputed by the Pope, this may have been a Norman attempt to discredit Harold's kingship.

Edith

Edith, the wife of King Edward the Confessor and sister of King Harold, is thought to the women shown in Edward's deathbed scene at Westminster. The author of the Life of Edward, written soon after his death, records that she was present at Edward's deathbed when he commended her to Harold's protection.

Fleeing woman

A woman and child area shown either trapped inside or fleeing from a burning building at Hastings when William's troops were harrying the area immediately after his invasion force lands at Pevensey.

Aelfgyva

A mysterious lady appears called Aelfgyva appears in a scene with a cleric near the start of the tapestry. The mysterious incident seems to have nothing to do with the main story, but it may have been well known in the 11th century. It might refer to a sexual scandal  as the man in the lower border is naked in the original tapestry, but he has been provided with shorts in the Victorian copy. Aelfgyva was a widely used Saxon name.