The Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is a very long piece of cloth with a story on it. The story is sewn in with colored thread. It tells about the Battle of Hastings in the year 1066. The tapestry was made almost 1,000 years ago. It is like a comic book made of cloth.

What It Shows

The tapestry is about 230 feet long. It shows knights, kings, horses, and ships. The story tells how William of Normandy sailed to England. He fought King Harold and won the Battle of Hastings. There are over 600 people sewn into the cloth. You can even see the famous Halley's Comet in the pictures.

How It Was Made

The tapestry is not really a tapestry at all. It is an embroidery, which means the pictures are sewn on with thread. Workers used eight different colors of wool thread. It took a long time to finish such a big piece. Experts think it was made in England around 1070. Today, it is kept in a museum in the town of Bayeux in France.

Fun Facts

• The Bayeux Tapestry is longer than five school buses lined up.
• It has been kept safe for almost 1,000 years.
• Some of the sewn pictures show funny or strange things in the borders.

Did You Know?

The tapestry was almost destroyed during the French Revolution when people wanted to cut it up to cover wagons.