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Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Medieval tapestry's penis count remains a bone of contention
The Bayeux Tapestry is a remarkable example of medieval art. The embroidery piece depicts events leading up to the Norman conquest of England and spans nearly 230 feet. It is believed to have been completed soon after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE. But even as a renowned and intricately detailed artifact, it's not without its controversy. Namely: How many penises are on it? In 2018, University of Oxford professor George Garnett said that the number stands at 93 male genitalia—88 on horses and five on men. But tapestry expert Christopher Monk believes one more penis deserves some extra scrutiny. In this case, a running soldier near the tapestry's lower border who features a noticeable accessory hanging from beneath his tunic. 'I am in no doubt that the appendage is a depiction of male genitalia–the missed penis, shall we say?' Monk said on a recent episode of the podcast HistoryExtra. Garnett, however, remained doubtful about Monk's evidence. The Oxford scholar instead contended the mystery shape is actually a scabbard, and pointed to a gold orb that he believes is the pommel's brass cap. 'If you look at what are incontrovertibly penises in the tapestry, none of them have a yellow blob on the end,' argued Garnett. [ Related: Medieval toilet helps uncover lost home of the England's last Anglo-Saxon King. ] Either way, one needs to examine the original embroidery still housed in Bayeux, France, to properly analyze the total penis count. Although an 18th century replica exists at the UK's Reading Museum, the era's social standards necessitated a censored version of the tapestry that omits most of the genitalia. But why include all those penises in the first place? Like their total count, the official explanation remains elusive. Medieval art is laden with symbolism (including everything from colors, to flowers, to animals), and the Bayeux Tapestry is no exception. According to some historians, the appendages may have been meant to convey 'manliness' and virility. Case in point: the artwork's largest equine penis belongs to the horse gifted to Duke William preceding the Battle of Hastings, thus symbolizing his right to the throne. Meanwhile, others contend the anatomical inclusions allude to Aesop's Fables and other classical and satirical tales of the era. 'There are lots of interesting theories—we don't know really, to be honest,' historian David Musgrove said on the podcast. 'But it's very interesting that they're there.'
The Independent
25-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
The Bayeux Tapestry inspires fresh debate over ‘missed' penis in depiction of historical battle
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts one of Britain's most famous clashes, the Battle of Hastings in which William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson for the English throne. Now, the cloth is subject to a new battle as two historians have gone head-to-head over the number of penises included on the historical work, kept in Bayeux, France. Oxford academic Professor George Garnett counted 93 penises on the embroidered fabric in 2019, with 88 belonging to horses and another five to men. But Bayeux Tapestry scholar and expert on Anglo-Saxon nudity Dr Christopher Monk believes he has found one extra on another man in the tapestry. Speaking to HistoryExtra, Dr Monk said: 'I am in no doubt that the appendage is a depiction of male genitalia – the missed penis, shall we say? The detail is surprisingly anatomically fulsome.' Professor Garnett maintained on the HistoryExtra podcast that he was still correct, as he believed the potential penis was the scabbard of a man's dagger due to the 'yellow blob' at the end, which he took to be brass. He said: 'If you look at what are incontrovertibly penises in the tapestry, none of them have a yellow blob on the end.' As well as debate over this additional appendage, many scholars are still discussing why the Tapestry includes the male members. While most of the horse penises are believed to portray them as stallions, Professor Garnett highlights there are three horses where their endowments are emphasised. Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror are portrayed as mounting horses with particularly large penises 'William's horse is by far the biggest,' Garnett said. 'And that's not a coincidence.' The human penises remain a mystery, as they can be found in the borders of the Tapestry above and below. Professor Garnett has agreed with an argument made by his fellow Tapestry scholar, Professor Stephen D White, who has said that some of the illustrations in the border refer to Aesop's Fables. The Oxford scholar said: 'We know the designer was learned – he was using [ancient Thracian] Phaedrus's first-century Latin translation of Aesop's fables, rather than some vague folk tradition.' The professor believes the depictions of nudity in the Tapestry are there to make a point: 'Sexual activity is involved, or shame, and that makes me think that the designer is covertly alluding to betrayal.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Penis count debate rages over Bayeux Tapestry
Debate is raging amongst historians over the number of penises included on the Bayeux Tapestry. The original embroidery is still kept in Bayeux, France, and depicts the Norman conquest of England, but a replica created in the late 19th Century is held at Reading Museum. Most of the penises were not transferred onto the replica by the Leek Embroidery Society, which made it, after it was given censored etchings, engravings and photos of it to work from. Oxford academic Prof George Garnett counted 93 penises in 2018 – with 88 belonging to horses and another five to men. But Dr Christopher Monk said he had counted one more on another man. Prof Garnett said he believed he was still correct and that the potential penis was the scabbard of a man's dagger because "right at its end is a yellow blob", which he took to be brass. "If you look at what are incontrovertibly penises in the tapestry, none of them have a yellow blob on the end," he told the History Extra podcast. Either way, Prof Garnett said the Bayeux Tapestry, at 70m (230ft) long and about half a metre high (1.7ft) is "by far the most splendid and largest surviving" textile art from the period. The men's penises are included in the border of the embroidery, but there is no agreement about why they are there. "It might be that [the penises] are just there for fun and for levity, that's what some scholars say," Dr David Musgrove, from the podcast, said. "Some say the figures are making some sort of commentary on the action in the main scene, some sort of subversive commentary, perhaps even casting doubt on the probity of some of the characters in the main scene. "Some people say they're something to do with Aesop's fables. "There are lots of interesting theories – we don't know really, to be honest. But it's very interesting that they're there." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Why did Victorians censor the Bayeux Tapestry? History Extra
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Penis count debate rages over Bayeux Tapestry
Debate is raging amongst historians over the number of penises included on the Bayeux original embroidery is still kept in Bayeux, France, and depicts the Norman conquest of England, but a replica created in the late 19th Century is held at Reading of the penises were not transferred onto the replica by the Leek Embroidery Society, which made it, after it was given censored etchings, engravings and photos of it to work academic Prof George Garnett counted 93 penises in 2018 – with 88 belonging to horses and another five to men. But Dr Christopher Monk said he had counted one more on another Garnett said he believed he was still correct and that the potential penis was the scabbard of a man's dagger because "right at its end is a yellow blob", which he took to be brass."If you look at what are incontrovertibly penises in the tapestry, none of them have a yellow blob on the end," he told the History Extra podcast. Either way, Prof Garnett said the Bayeux Tapestry, at 70m (230ft) long and about half a metre high (1.7ft) is "by far the most splendid and largest surviving" textile art from the men's penises are included in the border of the embroidery, but there is no agreement about why they are there. "It might be that [the penises] are just there for fun and for levity, that's what some scholars say," Dr David Musgrove, from the podcast, said."Some say the figures are making some sort of commentary on the action in the main scene, some sort of subversive commentary, perhaps even casting doubt on the probity of some of the characters in the main scene. "Some people say they're something to do with Aesop's fables."There are lots of interesting theories – we don't know really, to be honest. But it's very interesting that they're there." You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mystery appendage fascinates Bayeux Tapestry historians
The question is, is the medieval swordsman going into battle unusually well armed? Or is he, in fact, going into battle unusually well endowed — and a swordsman of another kind? On the answer hangs, in more ways than one, a crucial matter of medieval scholarship. Because a historian believes that he has spotted nothing less than an extra penis in the Bayeux Tapestry. Is he right though, or is it merely a weapon? For Dr Christopher Monk, seeing is believing. 'The detail,' he explained on the HistoryExtra podcast, 'is surprisingly anatomically fulsome.' The swordsman in question appears in the marginalia of the 11th-century tapestry, which depicts the Norman Conquest. Running in pursuit of wild beasts, what could be a scabbard swings beneath his tunic.
