r/england • u/CampaignOrdinary2771 • 21h ago
Bayeux Tapestry’s Return Has History Buffs Re-Enacting Like It’s 1066
Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, was pacing around a field in southern England on Sunday, giving a thunderous speech to energize his troops before a battle against the forces of William the Conqueror, the Norman invader who was trying to steal his throne.
“People of England,” Godwinson bellowed, “I ask for you to believe in me, believe in our England!”
If they did, Godwinson added, history would remember them as the heroes who “drove the Norman dogs back into the sea whence they came.”
As Godwinson’s rousing speech reached its climax, the bearded king punched the air in celebration, and, like a rowdy sports crowd, the dozens of onlookers chanted his name. “God-win-son! God-win-son!”
It was a stirring moment — at least until one of Godwinson’s aides broke the authenticity of the historical re-enactment by asking if anyone wanted a selfie with the king.
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