As one of the most remarkable medieval works of art, The Bayeux Tapestry has been referenced multiple times, either directly or through imitation of its style.
Anime & Manga
- The second opening credits sequence
for the first season of the Vinland Saga anime includes scenes reminiscent of the tapestry. As this portion of the season takes place about 50 years before the Battle of Hastings and involves the invasion and conquest of England (albeit by the Danish under Sweyn Forkbeard rather than the Normans under William the Conquerer), it's more appropriate than many pop culture examples.
Art
Comic Books
- Understanding Comics: The author makes a point about Sequential Art and Comics being Older Than They Think by mentioning works like Ancient Egyptian tomb illustrations, the Bayeux Tapestry, and Hogarth's painting series (e.g., Marriage A-la-Mode).
Films — Live-Action
- The Vikings: The opening's art style deliberately mimics the tapestry and even borrows some bits of it (the shipbuilders most notably) despite the film being set in The Viking Age, 199 years before 1066.
- El Cid: Jimena (Sophia Loren) is seen embroidering something that looks very much like a Bayeux Tapestry panel. It's unlikely that she would imitate Norman embroidery artists, but the film's time period is the closest out of all the examples on this page (just over 30 years after 1066).
- Becket: In what is possibly a Historical In-Joke, Henry II yells in frustration at his wife and mother:Henry II: In God's name, how long does it take to make a tapestry?! And it's mediocre beyond belief!
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (this page's picture): The opening's art style is clearly based on the tapestry and depicts a number of things happening in the film (and it's a Spoiler Opening for the climax as well), from witch-in-training Eglantine Price flying on a broom to Wehrmacht soldiers landing in England from a submarine, since the film takes place during World War II.
- The Song of Roland (1978 film starring Klaus Kinski): The opening features several panels of the tapestry for no other reason than to have the film look and feel "medieval".
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves: The opening credits feature parts of the tapestry. The film is set in the 12th century, during the Third Crusade over 120 years after 1066. It's akin to showing images from The American Revolution in the opening of a movie about The American Civil War. Also, an example of The Artifact as the Norman-Saxon conflict made famous by Walter Scott plays no part in this Robin Hood film.
Literature
- Paul Kidby's illustrations for Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero include a few panels done as a deft pastiche of the Bayeux Tapestry, just to create a proper old-timey legendary hero effect.
Live-Action TV
- Blackadder: Back and Forth opens with a Title Sequence showing the Blackadder family throughout British history, starting with his distant ancestor as an archer depicted on the Tapestry, sneaking away in embarrassment after apparently firing the arrow that hit the King in the eye.
- One episode of Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego has Carmen's henchwoman Medeva steal the Bayeux Tapestry from England around the year 1092. The episode in question focuses on the history of textiles.
Video Games
- Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time has one period taken during William the Conqueror's reign. The VILE agent is hiding in the Bayeux Tapestry.
- Diablo II: The tapestry in the Act I Cathedral is an actual reproduction of a Bayeux Tapestry segment.
Web Original
- Bardcore videos often use the tapestry's art style in their animation, among other famous medieval European works of art.
- The end credits of the Kickassia movie are a stylized reproduction of the tapestry. Since the movie was about the invasion of an independent nation, this was fitting, although it's uncertain how many of the viewers actually understood the reference.
Western Animation
- The Simpsons: The couch gag of the episode "E Pluribus Wiggum" was a sequence in the style of the tapestry and depicted the Simpsons fighting a war with the Flanders over the Simpson family couch.
- Animaniacs (revival): In the episode "Rug of War", Yakko, Wakko and Dot find the tapestry in a garage and end up inside as 2D characters, revisiting the conquest of England their own way.
- Redwall: The Martin the Warrior tapestry that decorates the walls of the titular abbey emulates the style of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Others
- The 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia has its own version as well.
