The Romanesque after the Norman Conquest and Manuscripts

Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is a wool-embroidered, linen wall-hanging, depicting approximately 75 scenes related to the history of the Norman Conquest.  It is about 20 inches wide and 230 feet long.  It was executed using the stem stitch together with laid and couched work in at least eight separate colors of thread, including red, yellow and various shades of green and blue.  To see the entire tapestry, go to: http://hastings1066.com/baythumb.shtml

The historical narrative presented in the tapestry is based on the 1064 to 1066 time frame.  

The story unfolds with Edward the Confessor as an aged leader with no heir. 

One candidate for the throne was the English Earl, Harold Godwinson, who was also the brother of the King's queen, Edith.  He was trained as a soldier and educated to become a ruler.   Harold had achieved considerable wealth and power during the King's reign and was ambitious in his pursuit of greater authority. 

A second, major, self-declared contender was William, duke of Normandy.  Although illiterate, William understood war exceedingly well and governed with rigid determination.  He also believed that he shared with Edward the Confessor a common Norman ancestor, Richard I, and that the King had previously designated him as heir during the period of his exile.

From the Norman perspective, Edward had selected William as his legal heir; Harold was then sent, on the King's behalf, as a messenger.  In any case, Harold did embark for Normandy.

Upon arrival, the English Earl was immediately seized and imprisoned in Beaurain.  His rescue was orchestrated by William.  Now indebted to William, Harold accompanied the duke of Normandy in his successful battle against Conan, a rebellious vassal in Brittany.  In seeming recognition for his military assistance, Harold then received arms from the Norman duke.  Despite outward appearances, this gesture was apparently understood to indicate Harold's position of weakness and his formal acceptance of subservience to William.  Harold's ill-fated journey culminated with a solemn, sworn oath to assist William in his quest for the English throne.  It was after these remarkable events that Harold returned to England.

Bayeux Tapestry, Harold taking his sworn oath to William

On January 5, 1066, about a year after Harold's return to England, Edward the Confessor died.  The very next day, he was buried in Westminster Abbey and Harold was crowned as king of England.  

Bayeux Tapestry, Harold being crowned King

Needless to say, news of this event provoked William to seek revenge.  He assembled the largest military effort that Northern Europe had seen, comprised of more than 600 vessels, many horses, and approximately 7,000 men.  After about six weeks of waiting for accommodating weather conditions, William and his army set sail for the English coast on September 27.

Unbeknownst to William, his planned attack on England was preceded by a Viking attack from the north seas, led by King Harold Hardrada of Norway.  Thus, the English military effort was diverted to the north, and on September 25, the English fought the Vikings at Stamford Bridge, killing Harold Hardrada and his brother Tostig.  As a result, however, William landed at Pevensey, along the southern shore of England, on September 28, without any resistance.  On October 14, 1066 the Normans and the beleaguered English confronted each other at the Battle of Hastings.  It was this battle that brought death to King Harold, his brothers Gyrth and Leofwine, and a significant percentage of the English nobility.  It was also this battle that earned William of Normandy the title of William the Conqueror, King of England.

Bayeux Tapestry, Battle of Hastings

It is now believed that Bishop Odo, the half-brother of William the Conqueror, commissioned this work.  It seems that there was a single designer, probably a monk or a layman closely related to either St. Augustine's monastery or Christ Church, both in Canterbury. Further, it appears that the hand-stitching was done in one or more English workshops, and was not the labor of Queen Matilda (the wife of William), as was previously thought.  With respect to the date of completion, it is believed that the Tapestry was likely completed before 1082, the year that William had Odo imprisoned.

The Tapestry can be viewed as a narrative sequence, although there are several exceptions wherein scenes appear to be chronologically inverted.  If one, however, subscribes to the notion that time moves in the direction that the figures move, this apparent discrepancy is resolved.

In the Tapestry, the Normans and the English are clearly distinguished, with the Normans characterized by the shaved occiput and the absence of facial hair, and the English identified by moustaches and full heads of hair.  The major scenes are embellished with brief inscriptions that enable the identification of persons, locations, and events. 

Durham Cathedral, England, begun ca. 1093

After the Norman Conquest, the French Romanesque building style began to appear in England.  Durham Cathedral was begun in 1093 and is associated with monastery and castle near Scotland. The bones of St. Cuthbert are contained there. St Cuthbert was monk and bishop at Lindesfarne.  He became a popular local saint because of his achievements.  He was a zealous preacher and was said to have the gift of prophecy and of healing.  In addition, it was said that his body survived uncorrupted for several centuries.  This church is located on a hill, overlooking the Wear River.

The interior displays massive walls and piers — the solid sensibility of Romanesque.  The interior columns are highly decorated.  Notice the chevrons, which display a patterning similar to migration art.  The relief sculpture on columns was originally highly painted originally.

Durham Cathedral, England, Plan

 

Notice the rib vaults between the piers and springing from the columns.  This is called 7-part vaulting.  Basically, there are two groin vaults between each pier. 

Initial R from Moralia in Job, ca. 1115-1125

There continued to be scriptoria during the Romanesque Period.  A major one was located in the abbey of Citeaux, France.  This miniature is from Saint Gregory’s Moralia in Job.

This is an example of an historiated initial, which goes back to the Hiberno-Saxon period, but here is rendered in a Romanesque style.  The letter "R" is constructed from a knight standing on the shoulder of his squire.  It may be “St. George and the Dragon.  Once again, the figures are elongated.  The body is not important.  The drapery is flat and stylized. 

This kind of lavish and fanciful illustration lead to a ban by St. Bernard in 1134 on elaborate paintings in manuscripts produced at Citeaux!