Battle of Hastings and 1066
The events of 1066: the death of Edward the Confessor, three claimants to the throne, the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror, and the Bayeux Tapestry as a historical source
What a learner can do afterwards
- Explain why there was a crisis when Edward the Confessor died in 1066
- Describe the Battle of Hastings and its outcome
- Explain what the Bayeux Tapestry is and why it is important as a historical source
1 · Read
We now go back to 1066, before the Black Death. King Edward the Confessor died in 1066 without children. People disagreed about who should rule England next. Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada of Norway, and William of Normandy were three leading rivals for the crown.
Harold Godwinson was crowned king. Harald Hardrada invaded northern England, but Harold defeated him at Stamford Bridge. William said Edward had promised him the crown. William brought an army from Normandy to southern England. Harold then took his army south to face William.
The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066. William's army defeated Harold's army, and Harold was killed. William was crowned king of England on Christmas Day that year. He became known as William the Conqueror.
The Bayeux Tapestry is about 70 metres long. Its pictures and words are embroidered: thread is stitched onto cloth to make them. Made soon after 1066, it shows ships, clothing, weapons, and events leading to Hastings. It mainly presents the Norman side, and its ending is missing. Historians compare it with other evidence.
Rivals disputed England's crown in 1066. William won at Hastings. The Bayeux Tapestry gives useful clues, but does not tell every side of the story.
Reading and flashcards written for this dataset. Factual background included Dr. Kristine Tanton's article on the Bayeux Tapestry; its prose is not reproduced.
More to read
Clues in stitched pictures
A picture can help answer some questions about the past. Look at the ships and equipment shown on the Bayeux Tapestry. Its stitched details give historians clues about clothing, weapons, and travel near the time of 1066.
This embroidered cloth is about 70 metres long. Its surviving pictures show events leading to the Battle of Hastings and the battle itself. The ending is missing. We cannot study that lost part as though it were still there.
There is another question to ask: whose story does the cloth tell? It mainly presents events from the Norman side. That makes it useful for studying how the Norman story was shown, but it cannot speak for everyone involved.
Historians compare these pictures with other evidence. They separate details supported by clues from questions that remain open.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.