The Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is a very old piece of cloth with pictures sewn on it. It tells the story of a famous battle called the Battle of Hastings. This battle happened in England in the year 1066. The tapestry is over 900 years old. It is kept in a museum in Bayeux, France.

A Story in Pictures

The Bayeux Tapestry is nearly 230 feet long. That is about as long as six school buses lined up. It shows over 600 people and many horses, ships, and castles. The pictures are sewn with colored threads. Short words in Latin describe what is happening in each scene.

The Famous Battle

The tapestry tells about William, Duke of Normandy, from France. He sailed across the sea to fight King Harold of England. In the big battle, William won and became the new king of England. This changed England forever. The tapestry may have been made just a few years after the battle.

Fun Facts

• The Bayeux Tapestry is almost 1,000 years old.
• It shows Halley's Comet flying across the sky.
• The tapestry is really embroidery, not a woven tapestry.

Did You Know?

No one knows for sure who made the Bayeux Tapestry, but many people think it was sewn by English nuns.