Built in AD 1077, the Cathedral in Bayeux France was home to the famous Bayeux Tapestry, a document that covers conquest of England by William I. It is not technically a taestry, but an embroidery on silk, 230 feet long and 20 inches tall. It was originally longer but part of it has been destroyed.
The main theme of the tapestry is William's invasion of England in 1066 and the Battle of Hastings. For over 900 years teh document has stood to recount famous battles between Normans and the English. The Tapestry was commissioned by BIshop Odo to commemorate the Battle of Hastings for the cathedral.
England was first invated by the Celts in 700 BC. Eventually, a major Celtic tribe, the Brythons, came to be known as teh Britons, giving the island the name of Britain.
The second major invasion was by the Romans, beginning in 55 BC. Caesar attempted to invade Britain but failed. In 54 BC he tried again and succeeded but did not fully occupy the island.
The third invasion was by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. The fourth was by the Danes (Vikings) in 789, landing at Dorchester in Wessex.
For our purposes, we are mainly interested in the iconography of ships on the tapestry, but we also need to know some historical background.
This is believed to be a version of teh Gokstad ship. In this scene, Harold, Earl of Wessex, heads to see. Note the anchor, the fact that the planks are easily visible, giving an indication that the vessel is lapstrake construction, and that the ship is rowed but also has a mast for a sail.
Here is a ship landing at the home of Duke William, who had ordered the building of 3000 ships.
From this section of the tapestry, we see what, at first, looks much like the iconography from the Temple of Ti in Egypt. But the story and resultant ships are in fact quite different. The northern European shipbuilding tradition was entirely different from the Egyptian. In this scene though we see people feeling trees, making planks, and using adzes to shape the timbers. The shipwright above the top vessel is sighting to see that the timbers are in alignment. He was paid twice as much as a carpenter because he decided the proportions of the vessel.
Here, we see William heading off to war. Note the men on horses, and the sails. The vessels were not Viking ships, but like the Viking ships, they could carry men, animals, and cargo.
In this part of the tapestry, we can see men taking horses ashore, lowering masts, etc. Notice the iconography located at teh margins of the tapestry - the meaning of some of this is uncertain but some of it is obviously a running commentary.
What is clear is that the Bayeux Tapestry depicts a lot of historical events... politics, loyalties, ship construction, sexual adventures, etc. The tapestry also tells us a great deal about the size of vessels and the size of naval battles. The tapestry also shows us a great deal about the designs of vessels.