The Bayeux carpet is a remarkable example of medieval art. The embroidery piece shows events in the run -up to the Norman conquest of England and comprises almost 230 feet. It is believed that it was completed shortly after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE. But even if a reputable and complicated detailed artifact, it is not without controversy. Namely: How many penises Are on it?
In 2018, Professor from the University of Oxford George Garnett said that the number is on 93 male genitals – 88 on horses and five on men. But carpet expert Christopher Monk believes that a penis deserves extra control. In this case, a running soldier is near the lower edge of the carpet that has a noticeable accessory that hangs under his tunic.
“I have no doubt that the appendix is ​​an image of male sexual organs – the missed penis, will we say?” Said Monk in a recent episode of the podcast History Extra.
Garnett, however, remained doubtful about Monk’s evidence. The Oxford Scholar argued instead that the mystery form is actually a sheath, and pointed to a golden ball that he believes is the copper pant of the pommel.
“If you look at what indisputable penises are in the carpet, none of them has a yellow blob at the end,” Garnett argued.
[ Related: Medieval toilet helps uncover lost home of the England’s last Anglo-Saxon King. ]
Anyway, one has to investigate the original embroidery that is still housed in Bayeux, France to correctly analyze the total number of penis. Although there is a replica from the 18th century in the United Kingdom Museum, the social standards of the era required a censored version of the carpet that omits most of the genitals.
But why would you take all those penises in the first place? Just like their total count, the official statement remains elusive.
Medieval art is loaded with symbolism (including everything, from colors, to flowers, to animals), and the Bayeux carpet is no exception. According to some historians, the appendices can be intended to convey ‘masculinity’ and virility. An example of this: the artwork Biggest Horses Penis belongs to the horse that has been given to Duke William, prior to the Battle of Hastings, which symbolizes its right to the throne. In the meantime, others claim that the anatomical inclusions refer to Aesop’s fables and other classic and satirical stories of the era.
“There are many interesting theories – we don’t really know, to be honest,” said historian David Musgrove on the podcast. “But it’s very interesting that they are there.”
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