The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-07-14

Northman-with their chief as duke
King Haakon says they were from
Norway; King Gustaf says they were
from Sweden: King Frederick says
they were from Denmark. II matters
little. The stupendous thing in the
swiftness with which those heather
barbarians became the magnificent
Christian knights and naughty aristo
Gratis whose Norman blood" was Ger.
tainly worth more than simple faith"
In the mind Of Sir Walter Scott and
probably of Tennyson as well.
They wore leather and sheepskins
| 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 ar
NOR was odd pieces captured from
their enemies. Shields they had-of
bulls hide. They had nothing They
needed everything-and 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 sackine
the castle OF the count of Bayeux In
the year $50. had married the counts
daughter by force; yet here in oil we
find King tEmperor) 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 the
king OF France, forcing the duke OF
Brittany to do homage to him, and
starting an expedition to England
that was stopped only by a storm and
treaty. In a trifie over 100 years
they were exploiting all Normandy.
Norman Conquest Reproduced.
Rollo's original crowd OF hungry pi.
rates came up the River Seine to Rou.
Ell. Here. where the river is wide,
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 planted |
on long rowboats. armed with heavy, !
blunt lances and breastplates. As the ,
rival boats approach. each chooses his /
man and tries to push him into the /
water. and the winning boat is that
which forces the other to the shore.
At Caen the historic cortege will be
based on the foundation Of the two
great abbeys. which still stand per.
feet. William the Conqueror founded
the Abbey Of Men. and Matilda, his
wife, the Abbey Of Ladies'. Always
favored by their descendants, Caen
In the year 1900 was "a city greater
than any In England. save London"
Here, In the church of the Abbey of
Men, a black marble slab In front of
the high altar marks the tomb of the
Conqueror himself. Rollo and his son
lie in Rouen cathedral So do Rich.
ard the Lion Hearted and Henry ii.
of England.
At Bayeux there will be process
sion Of Matilda and her ladies-pro-
.ected by their men-at-arms. secreta-
lies, prelates and pages-to hand over
he famous tapestry to the cathedral.
The tapestry itself will be exposed in
ull all summer. II is a strip OF linen
10th $50 feet long and nearly two
ect broad. embroidered with colored
with IS scenes leading up
o the conquest OF England, each ex.
NAMED by a short Latin text, equally
Eight colors were used.
Is story is that Harold betrayed a
rust. Sent by Edward the Confessor
o announce to William that he would
soon be king of England" he con-
ealed 1t from the people and lets
himself be crowned by Stigand. (Hal.
ey's comet appears in the next scene
o reproving portent.) Three of the
most curious scenes are before Mont
L. Michel-already a stronghold of
he duke Of Brittany-amid Quick
ands from which Harold rescues two
'orman Knights Uncounted thou.
ands have since persisted In those
anne sands. and Mount St Michel was
Or centuries after the French bull.
ark against England.
Obviously this win be the most IN.
orable season imaginable to Wait
'os.-sn6v.