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Collection of painted panels in St Magnus Cathedral © 2012 Scotiana
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Mairiuna, we’ve just enjoyed reading your post on the children’s painted panels in St Magnus Cathedral – a miniature Bayeux Tapestry! What was it, we wondered, that attracted the Arran children to this subject?
The Bayeux Tapestry (Detail) – Source Wikipedia
Bayeux Historic Centre – Source: Wikipedia
In the 1050s and early 1060s William became a contender for the throne of England, then held by his childless relative Edward the Confessor. There were other potential claimants, including the powerful English earl Harold Godwinson, who was named the next king by Edward on the latter’s deathbed in January 1066. William argued that Edward had previously promised the throne to him, and that Harold had sworn to support William’s claim. William built a large fleet and invaded England in September 1066, decisively defeating and killing Harold at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. After further military efforts William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066, in London. He made arrangements for the governance of England in early 1067 before returning to Normandy. Several unsuccessful rebellions followed, but by 1075 William’s hold on England was mostly secure, allowing him to spend the majority of the rest of his reign on the Continent. (Wikipedia)
William the Conqueror Castle in Falaise, Normandy, France – Wikipedia
If we didn’t see Bayeux we could not have missed the native place of William the Conqueror in Falaise for our daughter was born there, a few hundred yards from the old castle which was built on the site of William’s fortress.
Just have a look at the colourful and lively motifs of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Maybe Mrs Farquharson, the Arran children’s art teacher, had led them to see the Bayeux Tapestry before they created the painted panels of St Magnus cathedral.
Of course the embroidered text was written in Latin but the illustrations speak for themselves 😉
Bayeux Tapestry – Scene 06 – Viking ships Harold – Source: Wikipedia
Viking ships and warriors, wild and farm animals, a rich medieval bestiary… these are elements we can find in the Orkneyinga Saga and in the beautifully illustrated painted panels of St Magnus cathedral.
Bayeux Tapestry – Scene 19 – William’s horsemen in battle – Source: Wikipedia
Horses are omnipresent in the Bayeux Tapestry but I’ve seen only one in the St Magnus Cathedral panels.
St Magnus cathedral painted panels ”building begins’ © 2012 Scotiana
It is a beautiful white horse which appears in one of the scenes illustrating the building of the cathedral.
Bayeux Tapestry (Detail) Horses in Battle of Hastings – Source: Wikipedia
I’ve always deplored the fate of horses in war…
Bayeux Tapestry (Detail) Horse – Source : Wikipedia
Innocent victims of human barbary…
Horse armour – Kelvingrove Museum – Glasgow © 2000 Scotiana
Some people seemed to have considered this problem with a touch of humanity and at least tried to protect these faithful friends of man.
I remember how puzzled I was to see horse armours in Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. Some of them are richly ornamented and must have cost a fortune.
Rockpools & Daffodils George Mackay Brown Gordon Wright Publishing 1992
Coming back to Iain and Margaret’s question, I’ve found one of the weekly chronicles written by George Mackay Brown in the Orcadian. He is asking himself the same question but doesn’t seem to have found any answer :
But how comes it that this flock of images has flown all the way from Arran to Orkney, across the Grampians and the gray Pentland whirls?
Magnus Erlendson, trencher-bearer to the King of Norway, must have set eyes on an island in the Firth of Clyde as the great Norse fleet sailed southward to Wales and the Scillies. Who lived in Arran then? – a few embattled original Celts, a few bright-haired incomers? We can’t tell. But, for every island, there is need for the dove to fall some time or other.
And the hawk-ships, with Magnus the great king and Magnus the server at the king’s table, sailed on south; and the island faded behind them.
(Rockpools & Daffodils – ‘Images from Arran’ 10/7/80 page33-34)
Maybe Mrs Farquharson, the Arran children’s teacher and the children themselves are the only ones who could tell us what it was that attracted them to the subject 😉
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Before concluding this post about ‘tapestries’, I would like to draw your attention on another very interesting Scottish embroidered masterpiece entitled ‘The Battle of Prestonpans Tapestry 1745’. It is displayed in Prestonpans. We went to Prestonpans in 2006 but the tapestry was only unveiled in 2010.
Illustrating Scottish historical events dating back to the 18 th century this tapestry which, like the Bayeux ‘tapestry’ is not woven but embroidered, has been inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. It took two years and more than two hundred embroiderers to create the 103 panels of this artwork which measures 341 ft (104m) and is 98 ft longer that the Bayeux tapestry.
The Prestonpans tapestry seems to be very popular and as I’ve just read on Wikipedia there will be an exhibition in Bayeux next year. Will there be a better opportunity to visit at the same time Bayeux and to see both tapestries on the same day?
Exhibitions have included the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Storytelling Centre, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, to coincide with the Edinburgh Festival in 2011 and 2012, Alexandra Palace in London and Pornichet/ St Nazaire in France – from where the Prince embarked to launch his campaign in 1745. In September/ October 2013 it will be exhibited in Bayeux by invitation of the world famous tapestry that was its own inspiration.
Source: Wikipedia
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Don’t miss my next post for, after these little detours via Bayeux and Prestonpans, I will tell you about the last painted panels of St Magnus Cathedral, the ones which describe the aftermath of St Magnus martyrdom and the marvellous origin of the building of the cathedral.
Then we’ll continue our visit of Kirkwall and the Orkney islands before embarking at Stromness for Thurso…
Bonne lecture!
A bientôt.
Mairiuna
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