The Bayeux Tapestry displayed a various amount of war scenes. It portrayed over 70 scenes from the Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry was made by Queen Matilda, with the help of other woman needle-workers, to honor her husband, William the Conqueror.  This tapestry is not actually a tapestry, it is embroidery. It reaches 20 inches high and 230 inches long. This admirable work of art “consists of eight long strips of unbleached linen which have been sewn together to form a continuous panel- this linen formed the background of the Bayeux tapestry” (middle-ages.org). There were many people and animals portrayed in this tapestry. There were people, dogs, horses, trees, ships, buildings, other birds and animals (some mythical), and Latin inscriptions that approximately had 2000 letters in each inscription. The colors displayed in the tapestry were dark blue, blue-green, light green, dark green, tan, buff, and yellow; all of them representing something beautiful. 

All around the border was filled with mythical creatures, such as dragons. It, also, displayed hunting and farming scenes from “Aesop Fables.” Around the border, the scenes from the Aesop Fables were portrayed as the fox, the wolf, and the kid. These themes were thought to be the meaning of “deceit and unlawful possession” (middle-ages.org). I feel that this beautiful piece of art should be preserved because our children should be able to see the different styles of art and how and why they were made. They would also be able to see a general description of what went on during the Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings. The historical context from the Bayeux Tapestry is that what is so interesting are the scenes depicted in it. In the first scene, it mainly depicts the controversies leading up to the Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings. In the second scene, the tapestry roughly depicts Duke William preparing everyone for the Norman Invasion fleet, which happened in 1066. In the third scene, the actions depicted are the controversies from the Battle of Hastings, “it shows the battle between the Normans and English with the armor on and weapons in hand, while others lay dead on the ground” (middle-ages.org). The Bayeux Tapestry was typical for its time because women would usually make rugs and other things of that nature for their job. It was also typical of its time due to the illustrations portrayed in the tapestry and how it shows their attire, why they were going to battle, and the symbols from each person, animal, and place of battle.

The Bayeux Tapestry is unusual for its time because there were no other tapestries made like this tapestry. There was not any other tapestry made that reached 20 inches in height and 230 inches long. It is a very long, thin strip of linen that has different pictures, words, and meanings illustrated throughout the entire embroidery. During its time, people received the embroidery as an honor to the men battling at the Norman Invasion and Battle of Hastings. It shows the bravery and courage that the men had offered and how they were preparing and fighting in these battles. People in today’s society receive this work as a beautiful piece of art. I personally view this work of art as inspiring. This embroidery shows the incredible patience and loyalty it took to make something as time-consuming as this tapestry. I find it so interesting that the illustrations are so detailed and the colors are so vibrant. This work of art compares, specifically, to another piece of art called the <em>Song of Roland</em>. They are both “epic in theme and robust in style. Both consist of sweeping narratives whose episodes are irregular rather than uniform in length. Like the stereotypical characters in the <em>chanson</em>, the figures in the tapestry are delineated by means of expressive gestures and simplified physical features; the Normans, for instance, are distinguished by the shaved back of their heads” (Fiero). Both the <em>Song of Roland</em> and the Bayeux tapestry portray very dynamic history of medieval life. The Bayeux tapestry is most significant for future generations to know because it’s a remarkable piece of work that never fails to fascinate people. The Bayeux tapestry needs to remind them of the creative thought and illustrations portrayed in something so ancient. This would also benefit our future generations by having it show them the skill that the women had back in 1082. The beautifully detailed artwork shows it took great patience and care, something that would be good for future generations to learn.