Les chevaux de la tapisserie de Bayeux

Abstract

The horses in the Bayeux tapestry. The makers of the Bayeux tapestry were very keen on horses which feature throughout the embroidery, about 200 in all. They are depicted with great precision, giving us an insight into the different pieces used for harnessing the horses and into the techniques of mounted fighting, at which the Normans were expert. An aesthetic appreciation is also possible of the way the horses are depicted and staged. The artists of the tapestry had their own techniques for the representation of movement and perspective, particularly in the battle scenes. The tapestry does not answer all our questions however, and other sources are needed to understand Norman society towards the middle of the eleventh century, a society in which the horse occupied a special place.

Keywords

• horse
• mule
• gelding
• harness
• haras
• Normandy