The Bayeux Tapestry and the Vikings - Peregrinations

custom, communicates between the two enemies, giving formal announcement of the
impending contest, challenge, and reply. When William sends messengers to Ponthieu to
rescue Harold there are two cocks in the border, one golden and one dark red.
Figure 19: Section of Bayeux Tapestry with cocks in upper border. Detail from the
Bayeux Tapestry – 11th Century by special permission of the City of Bayeux.
To the Norsemen cocks were the herald of doom for a cock with a golden crest and a
deep red cock from the netherworld would crow to announce the end of the world. Thus
we have a Nordic presaging of the end of Harold’s world. Ackerman alluded to the
Scandinavian belief that each man has his guardian, his fylgja, in the form of an animal
representative of his character. She established a tie between Edward and the lion,
25 Phyllis Ackerman, “The Norsemen and their Descendents,” in Tapestry: The Mirror of Civilization
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