The Treasured Tapestry

When I taught high school history classes, I used to let the students borrow my books to use as sources in their research papers. All except one. I remember a student asking if he could take The Bayeux Tapestry home, a coffee table book sized volume with full color plates of the Tapestry edited by David M. Wilson, and my answer was, "Absolutely not!" Then I softened it a little. "You can look at it here in the classroom. But be careful with the pages. And don't rip the dust jacket." That same book currently sits on display on the top shelf of our living room bookshelf. It "faces out", a high mark of favor when bookshelf space is at such a premium in our house.

Today I have a post up at the English Historical Fiction Authors blog about the Bayeux Tapestry. Did you know that Aesop's Fables appear in the margin 12 times in the Tapestry? Are they just decorative or do they have some deeper commentary on the larger narrative? My post hypothesizes the latter with a detailed look at the embroiderers' use of "The Fox and the Crow." I'd love it if you'd head on over and take a look...just be careful with the dust jacket!