Odo of Bayeux (died 1097) wasBishop of Bayeux inNormandy and was also madeEarl of Kent in England following theNorman Conquest. He was the maternal half-brother of duke, and later king,William the Conqueror, and was, for a time, William's primary administrator in the Kingdom of England, although he was eventually tried for defrauding William's government. It is likely Odo commissioned theBayeux Tapestry, a large tableau of the Norman Conquest, perhaps to present to his brother William. He later fell out with his brother over Odo's support for military adventures in Italy. William, on his deathbed, freed Odo. Odo died inPalermo, Sicily, on the way tocrusade.
Odo was the son of William the Conqueror's motherHerleva andHerluin de Conteville. CountRobert of Mortain was his younger brother. There is uncertainty about his birth date. Some historians have suggested he was born around 1035. Duke William made him bishop of Bayeux in 1049. It has been suggested that his birth was as early as 1030, making him about nineteen rather than fourteen at the time.
Although Odo was an ordainedChristian cleric, he is best known as awarrior and statesman, participating in theCouncil of Lillebonne. He funded ships for theNorman invasion of England and is one of the very few provencompanions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at theBattle of Hastings in 1066. TheBayeux Tapestry, probably commissioned by him to adorn his own cathedral, appears to labour the point that he did not actually fight, that is to say shed blood, at Hastings, but rather encouraged the troops from the rear. The Latin annotation embroidered onto the Tapestry above his image reads:HIC ODO EPS BACULU TENENS CONFORTAT PUEROS ("EPS" abbreviatingepiscopus "bishop" and "BACULU" omitting a finalm –baculum "cudgel"), in English "Here Odo the bishop holding a club strengthens the boys". It has been suggested that his clerical status forbade him from using a sword,[1] though this is doubtful: the club was a common weapon and used often by leadership[2] including by Duke William himself, as also depicted in the same part of the Tapestry. Odo was accompanied by William the carrier of his crozier and a retinue of servants and members of his household.
In 1067, Odo becameEarl of Kent, and for some years he was a trusted royal minister.[3] On some occasions when William was absent (back inNormandy), he served asregent of England,[4] and at times he led the royal forces against rebellions (e.g. theRevolt of the Earls): the precise sphere of his powers is not certain. There are also other occasions when he accompanied William back to Normandy.
During this time Odo acquired vast estates in England, larger in extent than anyone except the king: he had land in twenty-three counties, primarily in the south east and inEast Anglia.
In 1076, at thetrial of Penenden Heath, Odo was tried in front of a large and senior assembly over the course of three days atPenenden Heath inKent for defrauding the Crown and theDiocese of Canterbury. At the conclusion of the trial he was forced to return a number of properties and his assets were re-apportioned.[5]
In 1082, Odo was suddenly disgraced and imprisoned for having planned a military expedition toItaly. His motives are not certain.[3] Chroniclers writing a generation later said Odo desired to make himselfpope during theInvestiture Controversy whilePope Gregory VII was in severe difficulty in his conflict withHenry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and the position of pope was in contention; but the contemporary evidence is ambiguous.[6] Whatever the reason, Odo spent the next five years in prison and his English estates were taken back by the king, as was his office asEarl of Kent. Odo was not deposed as Bishop of Bayeux.
On his deathbed in 1087, King William I was reluctantly persuaded by his half-brother,Robert, Count of Mortain, to release Odo. After the king's death, Odo returned to England. William's eldest son,Robert Curthose, had been made duke of Normandy, while Robert's brotherWilliam Rufus had received the throne of England.[7]: 433–436 The bishop supported Robert Curthose's claim to England. TheRebellion of 1088 failed and William Rufus permitted Odo to leave the kingdom. Afterwards, Odo remained in the service of Robert in Normandy.[7]: 450–452
Odo joined theFirst Crusade as part of his nephew Robert's army that was bound forJerusalem, but died on the way whilst visitingPalermo in January or February 1097.[3] He was buried inPalermo Cathedral.[4]
William Stearns Davis writes inLife on a Medieval Barony (1923):
Bishop Odo of Bayeux fought at Hastings (1066) before any such authorized champions of the church existed. ... That bishops shall restrain from warfare is really a pious wish not easily in this sinful world to be granted.[8]
On screen, Odo has been portrayed byJohn Nettleton in the two-partBBC TV playConquest (1966), part of the seriesTheatre 625, and byDenis Lill in the TV dramaBlood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Davis, Henry William Carless (1911). "Odo of Bayeux". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 5.| Peerage of England | ||
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| Vacant Norman conquest Title last held by Leofwine GodwinsonAs Anglo-Saxon earl | Earl of Kent 1067–1088 | Vacant Title forfeit Title next held by William of Ypres |
| Preceded by PossiblyWilliam Peverel: Confirmed until October 14, 1066Bertram Ashburnham | Constable of Dover Castle December, 1066 or January, 1067 – 1082 | Succeeded by Vacant until 1084: John de Fiennes |
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