The Bayeux Tapestry comes back to England – and the comet of 1066

In the spring of 1066 a bright star with a long tail hung over England for about a week. Chroniclers across Europe noted it. On the Bayeux Tapestry, a small group of men stand in the street, heads tilted back, arms raised, pointing at it. Above them the embroiderers stitched four words: ISTI MIRANT STELLA – these men wonder at the star.

We now know it was Halley's Comet, which returns roughly every 76 years. In 1066 nobody knew that. A star that appears from nowhere was read as a sign, and the tapestry treats it as one: in the very next scene a messenger hurries to the newly crowned King Harold, and in the lower border a fleet of empty ships sails along – the invasion that has not yet happened. By October Harold was dead at Hastings; by Christmas, William of Normandy was king.

The tapestry itself is not woven but embroidered: coloured wool on a long strip of linen, almost 70 metres in all, made within a few years of the events it tells. It has spent nearly its entire life in Normandy. From 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027 it is on view at the British Museum in London – the first time it has been shown in England since it was made.

Our mug carries the comet scene: the pointing men, the star with its fiery tail, the tower, and Harold on his throne. It is printed in full colour on a fine, lightweight porcelain mug of about 200 g, 10 oz, 4.1 in tall – the photos show exactly how the picture sits on the mug.

And if you want to see the star itself: Halley's Comet comes back in 2061.

The omen has a sequel on the same embroidery: the death of Harold at Hastings. Both scenes together: The Comet and the King.

Sources: NASA Science, «1P/Halley»; British Museum, exhibition page «The Bayeux Tapestry». Photograph of the tapestry by Myrabella, released under CC0.
Tazzarte is not affiliated with the British Museum.