A British historian has demanded that the French give the Bayeux tapestry back to the British....
It's our tapestry - give it back
It's ours, you sew and sews ... the 'British' version of the Bayeux Tapestry
By ALEX WEST
25th June 2008
The Sun
A TOP historian called on the French yesterday to give back the famous Bayeux Tapestry . . . because it is BRITISH.
France has stitched us up over the medieval embroidery which it displays as its own national treasure, expert Dave Musgrove said.
In fact, the depiction of William the Conqueror’s defeat of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 was probably sewn in Canterbury.
Eye-con ...King Harold scenes aren't French
Dr Musgrove declared: “It is an iconic document of English history.
“It relates to French and Norman history as well, but for English history it is really, really important.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to have it shown in England? The crowds would come flocking.”
The 70-metre tapestry is a big tourist attraction in the Normandy town of Bayeux, where it has been kept since at least 1476.
But Dr Musgrove, editor of BBC History Magazine, said most academics now agree it was created in England, 400 years earlier.
Latin script on the wool and linen work suggests the words were written by someone of Anglo-Saxon origin, he told Radio 4’s Today programme.
And imagery used is similar to that on illuminated manuscripts in the Kent city’s library.
He said: “There is a pretty good academic consensus that it could well have been made in Canterbury.”
Art historian Carola Hicks agreed it “could well” have been made in England. But she urged caution about needling the French by demanding it back.
Referring to Napoleon Bonaparte – who took the tapestry to Paris as a propaganda stunt in 1803 before being defeated at Trafalgar – she said: “Look what happened to him.”
We've added famous British faces to the tapestry. Prince Harry and a beer bottle replace King Harold with an arrow in his eye, far left. Also shown are (left to right) Jordan, Pete Doherty, Wayne and Coleen Rooney, Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall.
thesun.co.uk
It's our tapestry - give it back
It's ours, you sew and sews ... the 'British' version of the Bayeux Tapestry
By ALEX WEST
25th June 2008
The Sun
A TOP historian called on the French yesterday to give back the famous Bayeux Tapestry . . . because it is BRITISH.
France has stitched us up over the medieval embroidery which it displays as its own national treasure, expert Dave Musgrove said.
In fact, the depiction of William the Conqueror’s defeat of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 was probably sewn in Canterbury.
Eye-con ...King Harold scenes aren't French
Dr Musgrove declared: “It is an iconic document of English history.
“It relates to French and Norman history as well, but for English history it is really, really important.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to have it shown in England? The crowds would come flocking.”
The 70-metre tapestry is a big tourist attraction in the Normandy town of Bayeux, where it has been kept since at least 1476.
But Dr Musgrove, editor of BBC History Magazine, said most academics now agree it was created in England, 400 years earlier.
Latin script on the wool and linen work suggests the words were written by someone of Anglo-Saxon origin, he told Radio 4’s Today programme.
And imagery used is similar to that on illuminated manuscripts in the Kent city’s library.
He said: “There is a pretty good academic consensus that it could well have been made in Canterbury.”
Art historian Carola Hicks agreed it “could well” have been made in England. But she urged caution about needling the French by demanding it back.
Referring to Napoleon Bonaparte – who took the tapestry to Paris as a propaganda stunt in 1803 before being defeated at Trafalgar – she said: “Look what happened to him.”
We've added famous British faces to the tapestry. Prince Harry and a beer bottle replace King Harold with an arrow in his eye, far left. Also shown are (left to right) Jordan, Pete Doherty, Wayne and Coleen Rooney, Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall.
thesun.co.uk
