This remarkable work depicts events in England following a journey to France by Earl Harold with instructions by King Edward. In a sequence of scenes we see Harold in Normandy, and the infamous oath-swearing, the death of Edward, Harold's becoming king, and then the Battle of Hastings itself. The work, measuring c.70m by c.0.5m, is actually an embroidery, not woven tapestry. It was worked with coloured wools on a linen ground. The stitching is laid and couched work in the solid shapes, with details in stem stitch. It was made between 1066 and 1082 - perhaps at Canterbury in the late 1070s - and was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo of Bayeux. It should be borne in mind that the tapestry tells the victor's story, showing the downfall of King Harold II from the moment he took an oath before William, duke of Normandy, to his death at Hastings.
Cf. Arras
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.