The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. It is believed that the tapestry was commissioned by Bishop Odo, the half-brother of William the Conqueror. The tapestry attempts to justify William’s invasion of England so this may be seen as a piece of embroidered propaganda.

Students in French IV over the last 13 years copied scenes from a miniature replica of the Bayeux Tapestry.    Their posters are set to the true scale of the actual tapestry. The tapestry measures an amazing 50 cm by 70 m (20 inches by 230 feet).  There are 626 human figures, 190 horses, 35 dogs, 506 birds and animals, 33 buildings, 37 boats, 37 trees, and 57 Latin inscriptions. This amazing historical “document” was entirely stitched by hand.

Some interesting things to look for: 

• several bodies without heads 
• Halley’s comet
• a dwarf groom
• a house being put to fire
• Harold with an arrow in his eye
• a gargoyle
• Bishop Odo swinging a club
• soldiers eating shish-kebab
• quicksand
• horses on board ship
• camel, dragon, cat, peacock, lion, dog, eel

Class Participants: 

2020 Dylan Brand, Emma Newell, Jackson O’Brien, Cynthia Rose
2018 Ellena Frumiento, Joe Godomsky, Sam Gumprecht, Yagmur Kucukakyuz, Georg Rausch, Emma Skelton, and Peyton Spurr
2016 Tess Gregory, Ryan Kappelmann, Sean Kimura, and Halley Savas
2015 Matthew Meikle and Lauren Rousseau
2014 Tyler Aalto, Matthieu Marchal, Colin McKay, Teneal Perry, Ben Upton, Alejandra Vicencio-Lopez, and Lizzie Wilson
2013 Dave Enyedy, Sophie Gibson, Lexie Stefekos, Luisa Schild, and Sam Wheeler
2012 Shaquille Cezont-Holmes, Coltan Downey, Ian Poundra-Bertrand, Jeffrey Labbé, Sydney Randall, Stephen Snyder, 
James Uccello, and Marie Vogel
2011 Matt Fensore, Rebekah Jett, Olivier Knight-Rouleau, Olivia McFadzen, Max Middleton and Jessi Moersdorf
2010 Nat Blackford, Lindsey Hughes, Liam Hanafee-Areces, Harry Trask, Kim Vigneau, and Geno Wentworth
2009 Laura Dow, Polly Drown, Chris Gacsy, Dillon Lyons, and James Miller
2008 Kyle Black, Claire Cummings, Lydia Drown, Sarah Fensore, Jeremy Kleven, Emma Leavitt, Emily Powers, Colin Taylor, 
and Kees van Haasteran