

A few years ago I had an opportunity to walk the battlefield with an excellent audio guide by English Heritage and I learned just how steep the hill is when your at the bottom of it. The Slope, combined with the English Sheildwall, effectively neutralised Williams greatest military asset, his mounted Knights. Ultimately however it was discipline that counted and Williams army was able to draw some of the defenders down from their strong point. Little by little the Saxons were whittled down until they couldn't hold their line any more. The end was swift and Harold was probably cut down with the last of his Housecarles as his army disintegrated. The popular myth of Harold being killed with an arrow in the Eye was most likely a neat bit of Norman 'spin' as it was common in medieval iconography that a perjurer was to die with a weapon through the eye. So, the tapestry might be said to emphasize William's rightful claim to the throne by depicting Harold as an oath breaker.
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