Bayeux Tapestry tituli
The Bayeux Tapestry tituli are captions embroidered on the Bayeux Tapestry describing scenes portrayed on the tapestry. These depict events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. The tituli are in Medieval Latin.
Description
The Bayeux Tapestry was probably commissioned by William the Conqueror's half-brother, Bishop Odo, possibly at the same time as Bayeux Cathedral's construction in the 1070s, and completed by 1077 in time for display on the cathedral's dedication. It is embroidered in wool yarn on a tabby-woven linen ground using outline or stem stitch for detailing and lettering.A dark blue wool, almost black, is used for most of the tapestry's lettering but towards the end other colours are used, sometimes for each word and other times for each letter.
The content of the hanging is primarily pictorial but tituli are included on many scenes of the action to point out names of people and places or to explain briefly the event being depicted. The text is in Latin, and is extremely direct, with each statement being closely tied to the scenes depicted in a given section. The text is frequently abbreviated as indicated by tildes placed over words at the place of omission of a letter. The words themselves are often demarcated by two points. Some French names are either archaic or anglicised. Sometimes "Franci" is used to describe the Normans who at that time certainly did not regard themselves as French.
The end of the tapestry has been missing from time immemorial and the final titulus "Et fuga verterunt Angli" is said by Lucien Musset to be "entirely spurious", added shortly before 1814 at a time of anti-English sentiment. The first word on the tapestry "Edward" is also a restoration.
Latin text with English translation
The English translation provided here is of a literal nature, to reflect the simplicity of the captions themselves. The numbering scheme uses the scene numbers on the tapestry's backing cloth, which were added sometime around 1800.| Scene | Text | Translation | Image | - |
| EDWARD REX | King Edward | - | ||
| - | UBI HAROLD DUX ANGLORUM ET SUI MILITES EQUITANT AD BOSHAM ECCLESIA | Where Harold, a leader of the English, and his knights ride to Bosham Church | - | |
| HIC HAROLD MARE NAVIGAVIT | Here Harold sailed by sea | - | ||
| ET VELIS VENTO PLENIS VENIT IN TERRA WIDONIS COMITIS | and with sails filled with wind came to the land of Count Wido | - | ||
| HAROLD | Harold | :File:Harold bayeux tapestry.png|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC APPREHENDIT WIDO HAROLDU | Here Wido seized Harold | - | ||
| ET DUXIT EUM AD BELREM ET IBI EUM TENUIT | and led him to Beaurain and held him there | - | ||
| UBI HAROLD ⁊ WIDO PARABOLANT | Where Harold and Wido confer | - | ||
| UBI NUNTII WILLELMI DUCIS VENERUNT AD WIDONE | Where the messengers of Duke William came to Wido | - | ||
| TUROLD | Turold | - | ||
| NUNTII WILLELMI | The messengers of William | - | ||
| † HIC VENIT NUNTIUS AD WILGELMUM DUCEM | † Here the messenger comes to Duke William | - | ||
| HIC WIDO ADDUXIT HAROLDUM AD WILGELMUM NORMANNORUM DUCEM | Here Wido led Harold to William Duke of the Normans | - | ||
| HIC DUX WILGELM CUM HAROLDO VENIT AD PALATIU SUU | Here Duke William comes with Harold to his palace | - | ||
| UBI UNUS CLERICUS ET ÆLFGYVA | Where a cleric and Ælfgyva... | :File:Aelfgyva.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC WILLEM DUX ET EXERCITUS EIUS VENERUNT AD MONTE MICHAELIS | Here Duke William and his army came to the Mount of Michael | - | ||
| ET HIC TRANSIERUNT FLUMEN COSNONIS | and here they crossed the Couesnon River | :File:COSNONIS-COESNON.JPG|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC HAROLD DUX TRAHEBAT EOS DE ARENA | Here earl Harold dragged them from the sand | :File:COSNONIS-COESNON.JPG|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| ET VENERUNT AD DOL ET CONAN FUGA VERTIT | and they came to Dol and Conan turned in flight | - | ||
| REDNES | Rennes | - | ||
| HIC MILITES WILLELMI DUCIS PUGNANT CONTRA DINANTES | Here the knights of Duke William fight against the men of Dinan | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24162.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| ET CUNAN CLAVES PORREXIT | and Conan passed out the keys | - | ||
| HIC WILLELM DEDIT ARMA HAROLDO | Here William gave arms to Harold | - | ||
| HIE WILLELM VENIT BAGIAS | Here William came to Bayeux | - | ||
| UBI HAROLD SACRAMENTUM FECIT WILLELMO DUCI | Where Harold made an oath to Duke William | - | ||
| HIC HAROLD DUX REVERSUS EST AD ANGLICAM TERRAM | Here earl Harold returned to English land | - | ||
| ET VENIT AD EDWARDU REGEM | and he came to King Edward | - | ||
| HIC PORTATUR CORPUS EADWARDI REGIS AD ECCLESIAM SCI PETRI APLI | Here the body of King Edward is carried to the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle | - | ||
| HIC EADWARDUS REX IN LECTO ALLOQUIT FIDELES | Here King Edward in bed speaks to his faithful followers | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24166.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| ET HIC DEFUNCTUS EST | and here he died | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24166.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC DEDERUNT HAROLDO CORONA REGIS | Here they gave the king's crown to Harold | - | ||
| HIC RESIDET HAROLD REX ANGLORUM | Here sits Harold King of the English | :File:Bayeux Tapestry.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| STIGANT ARCHIEPS | Archbishop Stigand | :File:Bayeux Tapestry.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| ISTI MIRANT STELLA | These people marvel at the star | - | ||
| HAROLD | Harold | - | ||
| HIC NAVIS ANGLICA VENIT IN TERRAM WILLELMI DUCIS | Here an English ship came to the land of Duke William | - | ||
| HIC WILLELM DUX JUSSIT NAVES EDIFICARE | Here Duke William ordered ships to be built | - | ||
| HIC TRAHUNT NAVES AD MARE | Here they drag the ships to the sea | - | ||
| ISTI PORTANT ARMAS AD NAVES ET HIC TRAHUNT CARRUM CUM VINO ET ARMIS | These men carry arms to the ships and here they drag a cart with wine and arms | - | ||
| † HIC WILLELM DUX IN MAGNO NAVIGIO MARE TRANSIVIT ET VENIT AD PEVENESÆ | † Here Duke William in a great ship crossed the sea and came to Pevensey | - | ||
| HIC EXEUNT CABALLI DE NAVIBUS | Here the horses leave the ships | - | ||
| ET HIC MILITES FESTINAVERUNT HESTINGA UT CIBUM RAPERENTUR | and here the knights have hurried to Hastings to seize food | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24168.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC EST WADARD | Here is Wadard | - | ||
| HIC COQUITUR CARO ET HIC MINISTRAVERUNT MINISTRI | Here the meat is being cooked and here the servants have served | - | ||
| HIC FECERUN PRANDIUM | Here they have a meal | - | ||
| HIC EPISCOPUS CIBU ET POTU BENEDICIT | Here the bishop blesses the food and drink | :File:Bayeux-feast01.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| ODO EPS WILLEM ROTBERT | Bishop Odo, William, Robert | - | ||
| ISTE JUSSIT UT FODERETUR CASTELLUM AT HESTENGA | He ordered that a motte should be dug at Hastings | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24171.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| CEASTRA | the camp | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24171.jpg|Higher resolution detail | ||
| HIC NUNTIATUM EST WILLELM DE HAROLD | Here William was told about Harold | - | ||
| HIC DOMUS INCENDITUR | Here a house is burned | - | ||
| HIC MILITES EXIERUNT DE HESTENGA ET VENERUNT AD PRELIUM CONTRA HAROLDUM REGE | Here the knights have left Hastings and have come to the battle against King Harold | :File:Raven banner.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC WILLELM DUX INTERROGAT VITAL SI VIDISSET HAROLDI EXERCITU | Here Duke William asks Vital if he has seen Harold's army | - | ||
| ISTE NUNTIAT HAROLDUM REGE DE EXERCITU WILLELMI DUCIS | This messenger tells King Harold about Duke William's army | - | ||
| HIC WILLELM DUX ALLOQUITUR SUIS MILITIBUS UT PREPAREN SE VIRILITER ET SAPIENTER AD PRELIUM CONTRA ANGLORUM EXERCITU | Here Duke William speaks to his knights to prepare themselves manfully and wisely for the battle against the army of the English | - | ||
| HIC CECIDERUNT LEWINE ET GYRD FRATRES HAROLDI REGIS | Here fell Leofwine and Gyrth, brothers of King Harold | - | ||
| HIC CECIDERUNT SIMUL ANGLI ET FRANCI IN PRELIO | Here English and French fell at the same time in battle | :File:Tapestry by unknown weaver - The Bayeux Tapestry - WGA24165.jpg|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC ODO EPS BACULU TENENS CONFORTAT PUEROS | Here Bishop Odo, holding a club, gives strength to the boys | - | ||
| HIC EST WILLEL DUX | Here is Duke William | - | ||
| ETIUS | Eustace | :File:Eustache de Boulogne-Bayeux.png|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| HIC FRANCI PUGNANT ET CECIDERUNT QUI ERANT CUM HAROLDO | Here the French are fighting and have killed those who were with Harold | - | ||
| HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST | Here King Harold is slain | :File:Harold dead bayeux tapestry.png|Higher resolution detail | - | |
| ET FUGA VERTERUNT ANGLI | and the English have turned in flight | :File:Fleeing bayeux tapestry.png|Higher resolution detail | - |