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Illustrations of the

Bayeux Tapestry

1st & 2nd quarters

EDVVARD REX VBI HAROLD DVX ANGLORVM ET SVI MILITES EQVITANT AD BOSHAM ECCLESIA[M] HIC HAROLD MARE NAVIGAVIT ET VELIS VENTO PLENIS VENIT IN TERRA[M] VVIDONIS COMITIS HAROLD HIC APPREHENDIT VVIDO HAROLDV[M] ET DVXIT EVM AD BELREM ET IBI EVM TENVIT VBI HAROLD ┐ VVIDO PARABOLANT VBI NVNTII VVILLELMI DVCIS VENERVNT AD VVIDONE[M] NVNTII VVILLELMI + HIC VENIT NVNTIVS AD VVILGELMVM DVCEM HIC VVIDO ADDVXIT HAROLDVM AD VVILGELMVM NORMANNORVM DVCEM HIC DVX VVILGELM CVM HAROLDO VENIT AD PALATIV[M] SVV[M] VBI VNVS CLERICVS ET ÆLFGYVA HIC VVILLEM DVX ET EXERCITVS EIVS VENERVNT AD MONTE[M] MICHAELIS ET HIC TRANSIERVNT FLVMEN COSNONIS ET VENERVNT AD DOL ET CONAN FVGA VERTIT REDNES HIC MILITES VVILLELMI DVCIS PVGNANT CONTRA DINANTES ET CVNAN CLAVES PORREXIT HIC VVILLELM DEDIT HAROLDO ARMA HIC VVILLELM[VS] VENIT BAGIAS VBI HAROLD SACRAMENTVM FECIT VVILLELMO DVCI HIC HAROLD DVX REVERSVS EST AD ANGLICAM TERRAM ET VENIT AD EDVVARDV[M] REGEM HIC PORTATVR CORPVS EADVVARDI REGIS AD ECCLESIAM S[AN]C[T]I PETRI AP[OSTO]LI HIC EADVVARDVS REX IN LECTO ALLOQVIT[VR] FIDELES HIC DEDERVNT HAROLDO CORONA[M] REGIS HIC RESIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORVM ISTI MIRANT STELLA[M] HAROLD HIC NAVIS ANGLICA VENIT IN TERRAM VVILLELMI DVCIS HIC VVILLELM[VS] DVX IVSSIT NAVES [A]EDIFICARE HIC TRAHVNT NAVES AD MARE
TVROLDHIC HAROLD DVX TRAHEBAT EOS DE ARENAREDNESET HIC DEFVNCTVS ESTSTIGANT ARCHIEP[ISCOPV]S
1 King Edward 2-3 Where Harold, duke of the English, and his knights ride to Bosham Church 4 Here Harold sailed by sea 5 and with sails filled with wind came to the land of Count Wido (Guy de Ponthieu) 6 Harold 7 Here Guy de Ponthieu seized Harold 8 and led him to Beaurain and held him there 9 Where Harold & Guy de Ponthieu confer 10 Where the messengers of Duke William came to Guy de Ponthieu 11 The messengers of William 12 Here the messenger comes to Duke William 13 Here Guy de Ponthieu led Harold to William Duke of the Normans 14 Here Duke William comes with Harold to his palace 15 Where a cleric and Ælfgyva… 16 Here Duke William and his army came to the Mount of Michael 17 and here they crossed the Couesnon River
Here Duke Harold dragged them from the sand
18 and they came to Dol and Conan turned in flight Rennes 19 Here the knights of Duke William fight against the men of 19a Dinan 20 and Conan passed out the keys 21 Here William gave
arms to Harold
22 Here William came to Bayeux 23 Where Harold made an oath to Duke William 24 Here Duke Harold returned to English land 25 and he came to King Edward 26 Here the body of King Edward is carried to the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle 27 Here King Edward in bed
speaks to his faithful followers
28 and here he died
29 Here they gave the
king's crown to Harold
30 Here sits Harold King of the English
31 Archbishop Stigand
32 These people marvel at the star 33 Harold 34 Here an English ship came to the land of Duke William 35 Here Duke William ordered ships to be built 36 Here they drag the ships to the sea
Next
Harold Godwinson confers with King Edward the Confessor and sets out on his journey. Harold and his men prepare for a sea voyage with a final prayer and meal. Then they board their ships, taking dogs and falcons with them. Their landing on the coast of France is met by the hostile Guy of Ponthieu. Harold is taken prisoner. While Harold talks with Guy, William of Normandy prepares a rescue mission. William's men hurry to Beaurain. Guy surrenders his prisoner to William. Harold and William return to Normandy. Harold and William celebrate their new relationship by fighting together against Conan of Brittany, but disaster nearly strikes at Mont. St. Michel. The battles continue at Dol and Rennes. At Dinan, the Duke of Brittany surrenders to William. During the victory celebration William knights Harold, and Harold takes a solemn oath to become the man of William. Harold returns to England. Edward the Confessor dies. Harold is crowned King of England. (Haley's Comet appears.) Word of Harold's coronation travels to William. William orders the Normans to begin building a fleet.

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