Bayeux Tapestry Experience

Rachel Louderback

HUM111

Professor Lafferty

May 27, 2012

It was an honor to fight for Duke William's right to be crowned King in the battle of Hastings on the 14th of October 1066. The battle of Hastings was one of the most memorable and successful battles that I have ever participated in as a Norman soldier. The Duke of Normandy, William, prepared for the battle against the King of England, Harold, months in advance. It all started after the death of King Edward, the Confessor died the 5th of January 1066 without an official heir to the throne (BBC, 2011). The day after King Edwards death, Harold claimed the throne to be King Harold II of England, illegally. Once …show more content…

The reality of battle was starting to sink in, but I knew that Duke William had a plan and we were going to conquer England. Once the ships were unloaded and dismantled, us Norman soldiers geared up and prepared to march into the surrounding towns. I would never forget the look on the towns peoples face when we arrived on our horses with torches in our hands and axes in the other. At once we started to light the town on fire and kill anyone who was in our way. The smell of fire and death was overpowering. Blood and pieces of body parts filled the streets, the sound of crying children and screaming women along with the sound of the fire filled the air. The start of our battle had begun, King Harold would be retreating to Hastings soon to defend his people. The days followed, we constructed our pre-built wooden castles in Hastings and continued to make our presence known in what was left of the surrounding towns.

The 14th of October 1066 was the day we Norman soldiers had prepared for in the past nine months. Wearing my chain-mail shirt, metal helmet with my kite shield strapped to my left arm and holding my axe in my right hand, I jumped on my black horse with the rest of the Norman soldiers and moved forward towards the Saxon soldiers. In the distance we spotted the Saxons as the marched towards us. The sound of their marching along with our soldiers and horses marching towards one another was a very