The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-07-28

Northman-with their chief A dul.
King Haakon says they were IN.
Norway; King Gustaf says they v.,.
from Sweden: King Frederick u,,
they were from Denmark. It msttsn
little. The stupendous thing in n.
swiftness with which those heatbeo
barbarians became the magnificent
Christian knights and naughty ari,to
Gratis whose Norman blood" was ca,.
tainly worth more than Simple faith.
In the mind Of Sir Walter Scott and
probably Of Tennyson as well.
They wore leather and sheepskin.
with the wool out. They were bare
legged. They were bearded and mus
tached, and the ornaments were tan.
gled and matted with food and drink
Their banners displayed crows, bears
and dogs as emblems. Their only AZ.
NOR was odd pieces captured from
their enemies. Shields they had-oi
bulls hide They had nothing. They
needed everything land took it.
One detail shows the swiftness with
which they became smart. In the
famous Bayeux tapestry every Nor.
man Of them is represented as smooth
shaven. while the English all wear
boards or mustaches.
Their leader. Rollo. after sackins
the castle of the count Of Bayeux In
the year $50, had married the counts
daughter by force: yet here in s1l We
find King (Emperor) Charles the
Simple actually giving him his daugh.
ter, Gisele, in wedlock.
In three generations after Rollo-
Long-Sword. Sans Peur and Richard
the Good-we see Rollo's great-great'
grandson. Robert the Devil. putting
his brother-in-law on the throne Of
Flanders. Wrestling the Vexin from tho
king Of France. forcing the duke Of
Brittany to do homage to him. and
starting an expedition to England
that was stopped only by storm and
. treaty. In q tribe over 100 yea1
they were exploiting all Normandy.
Norman Conquest Reproduced.
Rollo's original crowd Of hungry pr
rates came up the River Seine to Rou-
en-. Here. where the river Is wids'
deep and beautiful. with islands,
bridges and quays for the crowds to
circulate at ease, will take place the
earlier water fetes representing the
conquest Of Normandy-before that OF
England.
Any summers day along the Seine
Loire or other river or canal you can
see rival crews Of young men plante0
ON long rowboats, armed with heavy
blunt lances and breastplates. As tho
rival boats approach. each chooses Dis
man and tries to push him into tne
water, and the winning boat IL tna'
which forces the other to the snofe'
At Caen the historic cortege Will %
based on the foundation Of the t"0
great abbeys. which still STAND 20,
feet. William the Conqueror founceu
the Abbey Of Men. and Matilda Old
wife, the Abbey Of Ladies. AWAY
favored by their descendants Cas.
In the year 1900 was "a city grea'sn
than any in England, save LONDON
Here, In the church Of the Abbey ~
Men. q black marble slab In fron' ~
the high altar marks the tomb Oh Wv
Conqueror himself. Rollo and Dis wv
lie In Rouen cathedral. SO 90 MI
ard the Lion Hearted and Henry ~
Of England.
At Bayeux there will be proces
sion Of Matilda and her ladies-p..
tected by their men-at-arms, secrsu
ries, prelates and pages-to hano w
the famous tapestry to the catneu's -
The tapestry itself will be exposea -
full all summer. It is strip OF nusa
cloth $50 feet long and nearly '"S
feet broad. embroidered with CUM ~
worsteds with So scenes Leading W
to the conquest Of England. eacn ~
planned by q short Latin text equ s.d
embroidered. Eight colors were us's
It's story IL that Harold betrayeu or
trust. Sent by Edward the ConleS. ',d
to announce to william that ne wy
soon be king Of England. ne w. ~.
cealed It from the people ana len
himself be crowned by Stigano' Ia
ley's comet appears in the next scs sns
q reproving portent.) Three Of s,o eut
most curious scenes are before W.T. -
St Michel-already q strongno'u
the duke Of Brittany-amid qu 20
sands from which Harold rescues ~. .r.
Norman Knights. Uncounted . 49,
sands have since persisted IN ~.s
sauae sands, and Mount ST. Micne' ~
Tor centuries after the French
vark against England. -. a.
Obviously this win be the .,sit
vorable season imaginable !"
Normandy.