Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

A 1,000-year-old mystery: what's really stitched into the Bayeux Tapestry?

This photo taken Sept. 18, 2019 shows the 11th century Bayeux tapestry chronicling the Norman conquest of England, in Bayeux, Normandy, France.
This photo taken Sept. 18, 2019 shows the 11th century Bayeux tapestry chronicling the Norman conquest of England, in Bayeux, Normandy, France. © AP - Kamil Zihnioglu

A long, expertly embroidered cloth - the Bayeux Tapestry, on rare display in a UK museum across two galleries - recounts in vivid detail the epic story of the Norman Conquest of England. But Victorian prudishness has reignited a very modern academic row: how many penises did the original embroiderers actually stitch in?

But this is not the world-renowned 70-metre long Bayeux Tapestry on loan from France at the British museum.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.