Bayeux Tapestry tituli

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The Bayeux Tapestry tituli are Medieval Latin captions that are embroidered on the Bayeux Tapestry and describe scenes portrayed on the tapestry. These depict events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings.

Contents

The Bayeux Tapestry in its museum in Bayeux, France. Bayeux Tapestry in the museum.jpg
The Bayeux Tapestry in its museum in Bayeux, France.

The tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-metre (77 yd) long embroidered-linen cloth which narrates the story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066 has been said to be "one of the most powerful pieces of visual propaganda ever produced, as well as one of the few medieval works of art familiar to almost everyone in the Western world." [1] The tapestry has compelled many people to study and question who commissioned it and for what purpose. [2] The tapestry is currently located in Bayeux, Normandy and is protected by a glass case. [3] The Bayeux Tapestry tituli are Medieval Latin captions that are embroidered along the Bayeux Tapestry scenes and describe the portrayed re-enactments on the tapestry. The tituli, comprising 2,226 characters and symbols, is the longest known text of its kind. [4] These depicted events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, culminating in the Battle of Hastings.

Description

Many palaeographers who study manuscripts can distinguish different hands within the writings on manuscripts. In the same way, Bayeux Tapestry scholars have argued that there were different "scribes" at work, as there are subtle differences between similar letters along the entire tapestry. [4] For example, at Scene 17 the 'e' letters, both Roman and uncial, in the top line of the tituli have elegant serifs with tiny points; while those in the lower two lines have straight bars. [4] In scenes 52 to 57, different techniques and colourings similarly suggest different writers.

The Bayeux Tapestry was most likely commissioned by William the Conqueror's half-brother, Bishop Odo, possibly at the same time as Bayeux Cathedral's construction in the 1070s, and completed by 1077 in time for display on the cathedral's dedication. It is embroidered in wool yarn on a tabby-woven linen ground using outline or stem stitch for detailing and lettering. A dark blue wool, almost black, is used for most of the tapestry's lettering but towards the end other colours are used, sometimes for each word and other times for each letter.

Detail of embroidered lettering Bayeux tapestry stitches detail..jpg
Detail of embroidered lettering

The content of the hanging is primarily pictorial but tituli are included on many scenes of the action to point out names of people and places or to explain briefly the event being depicted. [5] The text is in Latin (which for the most part is grammatically correct), and is extremely direct, with each statement being closely tied to the scenes depicted in a given section. [6] [7] The text is frequently abbreviated as indicated by tildes placed over words at the place of omission of a letter. The words themselves are often demarcated by two points (which Lucien Musset likens to colons); sometimes, more important section breaks are demarcated by three points. Many personal names, mostly in English, are not Latinised and the same applies for names of places in England and for Beaurain "Belrem" in France. In places the spelling shows an English influence, such as the phrase "at Hestenga ceastra", which in proper Latin would be "ad Hastingae castra". [6] Some French names are either archaic ("Rednes") or anglicised ("Bagias"). [8] Sometimes "Franci" is used to describe the Normans and the rest of the host. [9]

The end of the tapestry has been missing from time immemorial and the final titulus "Et fuga verterunt Angli" is said by Lucien Musset to be "entirely spurious", added shortly before 1814 at a time of anti-English sentiment. [10] The first word on the tapestry "Edward" is also a restoration. [11]

Notable scenes

Scene 12

Scene 12 is another notable scene, however it is studied because of its tituli. It appears as though "a different writer took over the inscription at this point and saw himself as beginning here; or that the same scribe began a new stint of work here." [4] The upper border has dipped at this point and the birds and beasts depicted in it are large. [3] "The tituli is accordingly forced into smaller letters and is very intermittent, being fitted in round a tree, a sword, hands, spears, and birds’ heads. It seems likely that the first workshop completed the main register and the upper border, leaving the inscription (and possibly the lower border) incomplete." [4]

Scenes 29 and 30

Another notable event occurs in scenes 29 and 30, the coronation of Harold as king. In this scene, Harold is seated on the throne, with nobles to his left and Archbishop Stigand to his right. The tituli states, "Here they gave the king's crown to Harold" in scene 29, and "Here sits Harold King of the English" in scene 30. [12] The coronation of King Harold is important because as the masses are cheering for Harold, Halley's Comet appears in the sky. [13] This scene also includes a fleet of ships in the lower border, which foreshadows the Norman invasion and the English defeat at the hands of William the Conqueror. [13]

Scene 57

The most famous scene within the Bayeux Tapestry is scene 57, depicting Harold's death. In this scene, the tituli states, "HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST" [13] which can be translated to "Here King Harold was slain." Harold's death marks the end of the Anglo-Saxon era in England and births the beginning of Norman rule. [12] Harold appears to be plucking an arrow from his eye in the scene. According to many historians, The Bayeux Tapestry is considered one of the earliest and most convincing pieces of evidence that Harold was killed by an arrow. [3] Scene 57 also holds evidence that there was more than one "writer". Scene 52, within the first new titulus after the sixth seam, the colours change to black and yellow with intermittent red letters. [4] They continue, mostly in letters of alternating colour, until Scene 57, Harold's death. At this point green is introduced to the inscription and there are some words in black, some in the lighter greenish shade, to the present limit of the Tapestry. [4] "The change of colour at Scene 57 may, again, relate to a different production team: The episode of Harold's death also contains a seam, the eighth, although it is invisible from the front of the Tapestry." [4]

Latin text with English translation

The English translation provided here is of a literal nature, to reflect the simplicity of the captions themselves. The numbering scheme uses the scene numbers on the tapestry's backing cloth, which were added sometime around 1800. [5]

SceneText [nb 1] Translation [14] Image
1EDWARD[US] [nb 2] REX King Edward BayeuxTapestryScene01.jpg
2-3UBI HAROLD DUX ANGLORUM ET SUI MILITES EQUITANT AD BOSHAM ECCLESIA[M]Where Harold, a leader of the English, and his knights ride to Bosham Church [15] BayeuxTapestryScene02-03.jpg
4HIC HAROLD MARE NAVIGAVITHere Harold sailed by sea BayeuxTapestryScene04.jpg
5ET VELIS VENTO PLENIS VENIT IN TERRA WIDONIS COMITISand with sails filled with wind came to the land of Count Wido [nb 3] BayeuxTapestryScene05.jpg
6HAROLD Harold BayeuxTapestryScene06.jpg
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7HIC APPREHENDIT WIDO HAROLDU[M]Here Wido seized Harold BayeuxTapestryScene07.jpg
8ET DUXIT EUM AD BELREM ET IBI EUM TENUITand led him to Beaurain and held him there BayeuxTapestryScene08.jpg
9UBI HAROLD ⁊ [nb 4] WIDO PARABOLANTWhere Harold and Wido confer BayeuxTapestryScene09.jpg
10UBI NUNTII WILLELMI DUCIS VENERUNT AD WIDONE[M]Where the messengers of Duke William came to Wido BayeuxTapestryScene10a.jpg
TUROLD Turold [nb 5] BayeuxTapestryScene10b.jpg
11NUNTII WILLELMIThe messengers of William BayeuxTapestryScene11.jpg
12† HIC VENIT NUNTIUS AD WILGELMUM DUCEM [nb 6] Here the messenger comes to Duke William BayeuxTapestryScene12.jpg
13HIC WIDO ADDUXIT HAROLDUM AD WILGELMUM NORMANNORUM DUCEMHere Wido led Harold to William Duke of the Normans BayeuxTapestryScene13.jpg
14HIC DUX WILGELM[US] CUM HAROLDO VENIT AD PALATIU[M] SUU[M]Here Duke William comes with Harold to his palace BayeuxTapestryScene14.jpg
15UBI UNUS CLERICUS ET ÆLFGYVAWhere a cleric and Ælfgyva ... [nb 7] BayeuxTapestryScene15.jpg
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16HIC WILLEM[US] DUX ET EXERCITUS EIUS VENERUNT AD MONTE[M] MICHAELISHere Duke William and his army came to the Mount of Michael BayeuxTapestryScene16.jpg
17ET HIC TRANSIERUNT FLUMEN COSNONISand here they crossed the river Couesnon BayeuxTapestryScene17.jpg
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HIC HAROLD DUX TRAHEBAT EOS DE ARENAHere earl Harold dragged them from the sand
18ET VENERUNT AD DOL ET CONAN FUGA VERTITand they came to Dol and Conan turned in flight BayeuxTapestryScene18a.jpg
REDNES Rennes BayeuxTapestryScene18b.jpg
19HIC MILITES WILLELMI DUCIS PUGNANT CONTRA DINANTESHere the knights of Duke William fight against the men of Dinan BayeuxTapestryScene19.jpg
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20ET CUNAN CLAVES PORREXITand Conan passed out the keys BayeuxTapestryScene20.jpg
21HIC WILLELM[US] DEDIT ARMA HAROLDOHere William gave arms to Harold BayeuxTapestryScene21.jpg
22HIE [ sic ] [nb 8] WILLELM[US] VENIT BAGIASHere William came to Bayeux BayeuxTapestryScene22.jpg
23UBI HAROLD SACRAMENTUM FECIT WILLELMO DUCIWhere Harold made an oath to Duke William BayeuxTapestryScene23.jpg
24HIC HAROLD DUX REVERSUS EST AD ANGLICAM TERRAMHere earl Harold returned to English land BayeuxTapestryScene24.jpg
25ET VENIT AD EDWARDU[M] REGEMand he came to King Edward BayeuxTapestryScene25.jpg
26HIC PORTATUR CORPUS EADWARDI REGIS AD ECCLESIAM S[AN]C[T]I PETRI AP[OSTO]LIHere the body of King Edward is carried to the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle [nb 9] BayeuxTapestryScene26.jpg
27HIC EADWARDUS REX IN LECTO ALLOQUIT[UR] FIDELESHere King Edward in bed speaks to his faithful followers BayeuxTapestryScene27-28.jpg
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28ET HIC DEFUNCTUS ESTand here he died
29HIC DEDERUNT HAROLDO CORONA[M] REGISHere they gave the king's crown to Harold BayeuxTapestryScene29.jpg
30HIC RESIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORUMHere sits Harold King of the English BayeuxTapestryScene30-31.jpg
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31STIGANT ARCHIEP[ISCOPU]SArchbishop Stigand
32ISTI MIRANT[UR] STELLA[M]These people marvel at the star [nb 10] BayeuxTapestryScene32.jpg
33HAROLDHarold BayeuxTapestryScene33.jpg
34HIC NAVIS ANGLICA VENIT IN TERRAM WILLELMI DUCISHere an English ship came to the land of Duke William BayeuxTapestryScene34.jpg
35HIC WILLELM[US] DUX JUSSIT NAVES [A]EDIFICAREHere Duke William ordered ships to be built BayeuxTapestryScene35.jpg
36HIC TRAHUNT NAVES AD MAREHere they drag the ships to the sea BayeuxTapestryScene36.jpg
37ISTI PORTANT ARMAS AD NAVES ET HIC TRAHUNT CARRUM CUM VINO ET ARMISThese men carry arms to the ships and here they drag a cart (laden) with wine and arms BayeuxTapestryScene37.jpg
38† HIC WILLELM[US] DUX IN MAGNO NAVIGIO MARE TRANSIVIT ET VENIT AD PEVENESÆ [nb 6] Here Duke William in a great ship crossed the sea and came to Pevensey BayeuxTapestryScene38.jpg
39HIC EXEUNT CABALLI DE NAVIBUSHere the horses leave the ships BayeuxTapestryScene39.jpg
40ET HIC MILITES FESTINAVERUNT HESTINGA UT CIBUM RAPERENTURand here the knights have hurried to Hastings to seize food BayeuxTapestryScene40.jpg
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41HIC EST WADARDHere is Wadard [nb 11] BayeuxTapestryScene41.jpg
42HIC COQUITUR CARO ET HIC MINISTRAVERUNT MINISTRIHere the meat is being cooked and here the servants have served (it) BayeuxTapestryScene42.jpg
43HIC FECERUN[T] PRANDIUMHere they have a meal BayeuxTapestryScene43a.jpg
ET HIC EPISCOPUS CIBU[M] ET POTU[M] BENEDICITAnd here the bishop blesses the food and drink BayeuxTapestryScene43b.jpg
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44ODO EP[ISCOPU]S WILLEM[US] ROTBERT Bishop Odo, William, Robert BayeuxTapestryScene44.jpg
45ISTE JUSSIT UT FODERETUR CASTELLUM AT HESTENGA [nb 12] He ordered that a motte should be dug at Hastings BayeuxTapestryScene45.jpg
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CEASTRA [nb 13] the camp
46HIC NUNTIATUM EST WILLELM[O] DE HAROLD[O]Here William was told about Harold BayeuxTapestryScene46.jpg
47HIC DOMUS INCENDITURHere a house is burned BayeuxTapestryScene47.jpg
48HIC MILITES EXIERUNT DE HESTENGA ET VENERUNT AD PR[O]ELIUM CONTRA HAROLDUM REGE[M]Here the knights have left Hastings and have come to the battle against King Harold BayeuxTapestryScene48.jpg
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49HIC WILLELM[US] DUX INTERROGAT VITAL[EM] SI VIDISSET HAROLDI EXERCITU[M]Here Duke William asks Vital [nb 14] if he has seen Harold's army BayeuxTapestryScene49.jpg
50ISTE NUNTIAT HAROLDUM REGE[M] DE EXERCITU WILLELMI DUCISThis messenger tells King Harold about Duke William's army BayeuxTapestryScene50.jpg
51HIC WILLELM[US] DUX ALLOQUITUR SUIS MILITIBUS UT PREPARAREN[T] SE VIRILITER ET SAPIENTER AD PR[O]ELIUM CONTRA ANGLORUM EXERCITU[M]Here Duke William speaks to [nb 15] his knights to prepare themselves manfully and wisely for the battle against the army of the English BayeuxTapestryScene51a.jpg
BayeuxTapestryScene51b.jpg
52HIC CECIDERUNT LEWINE ET GYRD FRATRES HAROLDI REGISHere fell Leofwine and Gyrth, brothers of King Harold BayeuxTapestryScene52a.jpg
BayeuxTapestryScene52b.jpg
53HIC CECIDERUNT SIMUL ANGLI ET FRANCI IN PR[O]ELIOHere English and French fell at the same time in battle BayeuxTapestryScene53.jpg
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54HIC ODO EP[ISCOPU]S BACULU[M] TENENS CONFORTAT PUEROSHere Bishop Odo, holding a club, gives strength to the boys BayeuxTapestryScene54.jpg
55HIC EST WILLEL[MUS] DUXHere is Duke William BayeuxTapestryScene55.jpg
56E[USTA]TIUS Eustace BayeuxTapestryScene56a.jpg
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HIC FRANCI PUGNANT ET CECIDERUNT QUI ERANT CUM HAROLDOHere the French do battle and those who were with Harold fell BayeuxTapestryScene56.jpg
57HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS ESTHere King Harold was slain BayeuxTapestryScene57.jpg
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58ET FUGA VERTERUNT ANGLI [nb 16] and the English have turned in flight BayeuxTapestryScene58.jpg
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Notes

  1. Letters in square brackets are omitted on the tapestry either by way of abbreviation or where they are implied by a macron diacritic on the previous letter.
  2. The Bayeux Tapestry scholar Lucien Musset argues that "Edward" is anachronistic (as his name is spelled elsewhere on the tapestry as "Eadwardus") and that it was almost certainly added by restorers, given that the name is missing in 18th century copies. [11]
  3. Wido is Guido or Guy, count of Ponthieu. [16]
  4. This symbol, resembling a right-angled 7, is a Tironian note abbreviation for et ("and"). [6]
  5. Possibly a member of either or Duke William or Bishop Odo's entourage. [17]
  6. 1 2 The significance of the cross is discussed by Norton. [18]
  7. A verb is missing, which makes this image the greatest mystery in the Tapestry. The historian D. C. Douglas commented as follows: "The similarity of attitude between the clerk and the semi-obscene figure in the lower margin will not escape notice, nor will the absence of a verb in the legend. Perhaps the dovecot and the doves in the upper border have an erotic significance, and the whole episode may possibly refer to some scandal, then notorious, but now advantageously forgotten". [19] Theories on the woman and her relationship with the cleric abound, ranging from being an embroidress to receiving anger, lewdness or affection on part of the clergyman. [20]
  8. This word is a misspelling of the demonstrative pronoun hic. [21] [22]
  9. I.e. Westminster Abbey. [23]
  10. I.e. Halley's Comet. [24]
  11. A vassal of Bishop Odo. [25]
  12. The spelling of the Latin word ad here has been cited by some in favour of the theory that the Tapestry was made in England. [26]
  13. The spelling of the Latin word castra here has been cited by some in favour of the theory that the Tapestry was made in England. [26]
  14. Possibly a vassal of Bishop Odo. [27]
  15. Or "harangues". [28]
  16. This caption was missing in 18th century copies. Musset refers to this line as "entirely spurious" and the result of "heavy-handed restoration". [10]

References

Citations

  1. Mani Shekhar Singh (June 2000). "Book Reviews: Suzanne Lewis, The Rhetoric of Power in the Bayeux Tapestry, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999, pp. 169" . The Indian Economic & Social History Review. 37 (2): 244–245. doi:10.1177/001946460003700207. ISSN   0019-4646.
  2. Goodier, John (20 June 2016). "The Bayeux Tapestry: A Critically Annotated Bibliography" . Reference Reviews. 30 (5): 39–40. doi:10.1108/RR-02-2016-0045. ISSN   0950-4125.
  3. 1 2 3 Wilson, David M. (2003), "Bayeux Tapestry" , Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.t007042 , retrieved 6 December 2024
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Owen-Crocker, Gale R. (2006), "The Embroidered Word: Text in the Bayeux Tapestry" , Medieval Clothing and Textiles 2, Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, pp. 35–60, doi:10.1017/9781846154911.003, ISBN   978-1-84615-491-1 , retrieved 6 December 2024
  5. 1 2 Musset (2011).
  6. 1 2 3 Musset (2011), p. 35.
  7. Musset (2011), p. 36.
  8. Musset (2011), pp. 356.
  9. Musset (2011), p. 37.
  10. 1 2 Musset (2011), p. 266.
  11. 1 2 Musset (2011), p. 88.
  12. 1 2 Pastan, Elizabeth Carson; White, Stephen D.; Gilbert, Kate (18 November 2014). The Bayeux Tapestry and Its Contexts. Boydell and Brewer Limited. doi:10.1017/9781782043898. ISBN   978-1-78204-389-8.
  13. 1 2 3 "In Normandy, discover the Bayeux Tapestry scene by scene". Bayeux Museum. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  14. Translations based mainly on Stenton (1965), Hicks (2006), Musset (2002), p. 270; and Musset (2011), pp. 266, 270.
  15. Integral scene per Douglas (1961), p. 233.
  16. Musset (2011), p. 104.
  17. Musset (2011), p. 112.
  18. Norton (2019), pp. 71, 75.
  19. Douglas (1961), p. 234, plate XVIII
  20. "Aelfgyva: The Mysterious Lady of the Bayeux Tapestry". Medievalists.net. 24 August 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  21. Musset (2011), p. 114.
  22. Walls (1962), p. 3. "Some inconsistencies of orthography can be accounted for as slips of the needle [...] for example, 'hie' for 'hic'".
  23. Jenkyns (2011), p. 130.
  24. Olson & Pasachoff (1987), p. 2.
  25. Musset (2011), p. 208.
  26. 1 2 Douglas (1961) p. 237.
  27. Musset (2011), p. 224.
  28. Plaché (1867), p. 151.

Sources