The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-07-14

hiAA NSho NNNv
Norway; King Gustaf says they were
from Sweden; King Frederick says
they were from Denmark. 1t matters
little. The ~stupendous thing in the
swiftness with which those heather
b%arbarians 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 C II
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-oI
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
nan of them is represented as smooth
| shaven, while the English all wear
boards or mustaches.
Their leader, Rollo. after sacklng
the castle of the count Of Bayeux In
the year $50, had married the counts
daughter by force; yet here In gil 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 brotherin-law on the throne OF
Flanders. wrestling the VeXin from the
king of France, forcing the duke OF
Brittany to dc homage to him, and
starting an expedition to England
that was stopped only by a storm anc
a treaty. In a trife over 100 year:
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 vide,
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 b~reastplates. AS the
5 rival boats approach, each chooses his
man and tries 10 push him into the
water. and the winning boat is tina
. which forces the other to the shore
A Caen the historic cortege will bt
based on the foundation OF the tWt
great abbeys, which still stand per
& feet. William the Conqleror founded
the Abbey OF Men. and Matilda, hi
wife. the Abbey Of Ladies. Away
favored by their descendants, Cael
in the year 1900 was "a city create
o than any in England, save London.
Here. in the church of the Abbey Q
IL Men, a black marble slab III front Q
X the high altar marks the tomb OF tn
Is C%onoueror himself. Rollo and his so
lie in Rouen cathedral. SO do Ricl
u ard the Lion Hearted and Henry
Of England.
q At Bayeux there will be a process
c sion of Matilda and her ladies-pr'
u tected by their men-at-arms secrets
ot ries. prelates and pages-to hand owe
40 the famous tapestry to the cathedra
10 The tapestry itself Will be exposed
10 full all summer. 1t Is a strip OF line
II cloth 230 feet long and nearly tN
ie feet broad, embroidered with colore
III worsteds with So enc leading l
o. to the conquest of England, each e
u planned by a short Latin text, equal
y, embroidered. Eight colors were use
ca Its story is that Harold betrayed
~ trust. Gent by Edward the Confess
nj to to William that he wou
soon be king Of England" he co
cealed it from the people and lie
at himself be crowned by Stigand. (H'
nv ley's comet appears in the next see
He as a ~reproving p%ortent.) Three Of L
most curious scenes are before Mo
i'd st. Michel-already q stronghold
am the duke Of Brittany-amid quie
sands from which Harold rescues tv
I'm Norman knights. Uncounted tho
We sands have since persisted in tho
nd same sands, and Mount st. Michel "
for centuries after the French b
JUS wark against England.
Ine Obviously this will be the most
Of yorable season imaginable to Vi
nd. Normandy.