Brianna Fecarotta
Art H 202 - Final Paper
Aelfgyva and the Bayeux Tapestry
Art throughout the ages always gives us a special preview into the lives of our ancestors, and the Bayeux Tapestry is no exception. Stretching 230 feet in all its splendor, this embroidered stretch of cloth allows an insight into the politics and preparation behind the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The borders are lined with detailed, symbolic animals and pictures. While the level of detail in telling this story is apparent, ambiguity still shrouds many panels, and historians are unable to work out some important details. One such instance is the only woman named in the Bayeux Tapestry, Aelfgyva. Women were only ever named if they were of high status, and the fact that the cleric is interacting with her face only increases the confusion. Divulging into this controversy surrounding Aelfgyva’s identity allows a unique look into how art can function as a primary source for puzzle pieces in history we may not have otherwise.
Historians have wasted no time in developing hypotheses for this mysterious woman. The cleric next to her, touching her face, is a key action to note, as well as the naked men below her in the borders.…show more content… Quickly, he suggests his own candidate, “Eadgifu, the abbess of Leominster in 1046 and briefly, willingly or unwillingly, the paramour of Swegn Godwinson, Earl Harold’s elder brother” (Campbell, 130). Proving his theory has to do with why Harold traveled to William’s court in the first place. Was it intentional or accidental? His theory explores the possibility of a two-fold visit: first to affirm William as the heir, but also to release his relatives that were held captive by
