The Bayeux Tapestry opens for public viewing at the British Museum today. It is a remarkable historical survival, but discussion about what exactly it depicts and the circumstances in which it was made continues.
One aspect of the Tapestry that has attracted comparatively little attention is the depiction of facial hair or indeed lack of it.
The French are shown as clean shaven with short hair cuts, which would be considered trendy in 2026 let alone 1066. By contrast the English are shown to have moustaches, often of what in more recent times have been called handle bars.
The Tapestry and those who produced it were creating an image here of course. The clean shaven future versus the hairy past.
In reality the French appearance would have required considerable attention to shaving and hair trimming. Did they travel with a team of barbers? The English moustaches would have needed even more maintenance. Firstly to shave around them and secondly to get the moustache moulded to the handlebar model.
An untold story of the Bayeux Tapestry
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