Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

158 Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages

Soon afte1· the Crowning of Harold, may Ье seen а crowd of people gazing at an astronomic phenomenon which has been described Ьу an old chronicler as а " hairy star." It is recorded as "а Ьlazing starre " such as " nevel' appears but as а prognostic of after­ claps," and again, as "dreadful to Ье scen, with Ыoudie haires, апd all ovcr rough and shagged at the top." Another autho1· complacently explains that coшets "were made to the end that the ethereal гegions might not Ье more void of monsters thaп tl1e ocean is of whales and othe1· great tl1ieving fish ! " А very literal interpгcta­ tion of this "haiгy star" has been here embroidel'ed, carefully fitted out with cog-'\\'heels and all the paгa­ phernalia of а conventional mediffival cornet. Iп the scenes <.lealiпg with the ргерагаtiоп of tl1e army and the aгrangernent of theiг food, thcгe оссшs the lassooing of an ох; the amount of action conceп­ trated in this group is really ,vonderful. ТЬе ох, spгing­ ing clca1· of the ground, with all his lcgs gatheгecl up uпder him, turns his hoгned head, ,vl1icl1 is set on an unc1uly long песk, for the purpose of inspecting his pш­ suers. No better origiп for the ancient, tradition of tl1c co,v who jнmped over the moon coнld Ье adduced. And what shall we say of the acrobatic aпtics of Leofwiпe апd Gyrth when meeting their deaths iп battle? Tl1ese warriors are turning elabш·ate Ьandspгings in thei1· last momeпts, ,vhile horses аге гepгesented as performing such somersaults that they are practically inverted. In the bordeг of this рагt of the tapestry, so]diers аге