The chief books written in England under the Norman kings were
histories. Of these the most noteworthy were the continuation of the
"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" in English (S99) and the chronicles of William
of Malmesbury and Henry of Huntingdon in Latin.[1] William's book and
the "Saxon Chronicle" still continue to be of great importance to
students of this period. Mention has already been made of the Bayeux
Tapestry (S75), a history of the Norman Conquest worked in colored
worsteds, on a long strip of narrow canvas.
[1] Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Britons" belongs to this
period. It abounds in romances about King Arthur. Tennyson based his
"Idylls of the King" on it.
It consists of a series of seventy-two scenes, or pictures, done about
the time of William's accession. It was probably intended to decorate
the cathedral of Bayeux, in Normandy, France, where it was originally
placed. Some have supposed it to be the work of his Queen, Matilda.
The entire length is two hundred and fourteen feet and the width about
twenty inches. It represents events in English history from the last
of Edward the Confessor's reign to the battle of Hastings. As a guide
to a knowledge of the armor, weapons, and costume of the period, it is
of very great value. The tapestry is preserved at Bayeux.