Bayeux Tapestry experience

Dear family members,

As I write this letter, I hope you are safe and in robust health as I am here in Hastings. Today marks the end of a bloody and exhausting battle that has seen the valor and commitment of the Norman force rewarded by dethroning Harold Godwinson as the King of England. William, the Duke of Normandy is now the conqueror and the King of England, thanks to the Almighty for our deserved victory. As the Bishop of Bayeux, my role in the battle has been to pray, encourage and bless our soldiers and offer spiritual guidance to my half brother William. Although I did not participate directly in the battle front, the war will forever remain a poignant reminder of the suffering that righteous men go through to overcome evil.

Norman troops started the mission on winning note, by landing at the Pevensey shore on 28 September unopposed, with a contingent of about 8000-10,000 fighters in 700 ships and on horsebacks (Cawthorne, 2006). We had to secure Pevensey because William, the Duke of Normandy felt that it would provide safe launching pad on our mission to conquer England. Therefore, we built wooden fortresses and stocked them with enough food supplies, wine and weapons in readiness for incursion. The following day, we moved to Hastings, because of its larger harbor which provides easy maneuverability and docking facilities. In addition, Hastings offered a better defensive ground for our army than Pevensey (Cawthorne, 2006). It is at Hastings where we laid our plans for attacking Harold’s army. We reasoned that it was at our tactical advantage to provoke Harold into an early war and therefore, our soldiers embarked on a rampage, robbing and foraging local residents especially farmers. The Norman knights dressed in armored suits and armed with bows, arrows and swords killed and displaced thousands of residents from Hastings and Pevensey. I must confess that I deeply regret these misdeeds by our soldiers for inflicting so much pain to the residents of east Sussex but it was a strategic move, aimed at luring King Harold to come into defense of his territory since he was also the Earl of Sussex. King Harold on sensing the threat of Norman invaders embarked on unsuccessful diplomatic negotiation with William and the war broke out (Cawthorne, 2006).

Our Norman troops, comprising of experienced archers and cavalry were prepared and having rested for two weeks since the arrival were ready for the Harold’s troops. I could feel the confidence and high morale of our troops in the camps as they prepared for the battle. The confidence was not misplaced because we expected our foes to be tired, having been forced to march for long distance from London. Our battle hardened troops, backed by French mercenaries had excellent knowledge of the terrain and were looking forward to attack the rivals at the earliest opportunity. Harold troops advanced towards our position blocking our march to London at Senlac Ridge. His war plan was a defensive approach, where his troops laid behind the Saxon shield (Ibeji, 2011). This tactic played into his favor and was capable of repulsing Norman infantry and cavalry, forcing the Breton knights on our side to retreat. The retreat by Norman fighters encouraged the Harold troops to chase after them, weakening their defensive position. Norman troops, led by William on the frontline launched a devastating counter attack, motivated by desperation and desire to survive.

The most trying moment of mission came when a rumor spread that William was dead. Our troops could not afford to lose their morale following the devastating rumors, but William rose and lifted his helmet, assuring his men he was alive (Ibeji, 2011). The Norman troops fought courageously, several men dying and many being wounded in the intense open field battle. Eventually, Harold defense broke down, following relentless assault from our archers and cavalry. The peak of our military superiority was marked when one of Norman archers shot Harold down in the eye with an arrow, and our knights followed and hacked him to death with swords (Ibeji, 2011). By the end of 14^th October, we were certain of victory and the following day, William was the conqueror of England. We certainly lost many men in the battle and many more were wounded. However, the battle was justified because Duke William was the rightful successor of King Edward, by blood relation. Harold had imposed himself illegally, and we had to dethrone him. It is my sincere hope that this battle will forever be remembered for restoring the Kingdom of England to the rightful rulers.

Yours sincerely,

Odo,

Bishop of Bayeux

References

Cawthorne, N. (2006). Norman Conquest timeline. Retrieved from http://www.essentialnormanconquest.com/timeline.htm

Ibeji, M.(2011). The battle of the Hastings: key events of the conquest. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/key_events_01.shtml