A Tattooed King
Time period: 1066
Many Anglo-saxon kings of England were great fans of tattoos and some had the first designs of text tattoos written on their bodies to show devotion to their country and their loved ones. One such king who chose to be tattooed was King Harold, who was defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. After being fatally wounded on the battlefield, King Harold’s body was identified by some tattoos that he had on his skin. Some accounts explain that his wife Edith was asked to identify him after his death. She was able to do this by looking for the tattoo that was positioned over his heart, which read ‘Edith and England’, signifying the great importance of both of these to the great king. Also during this period many soldiers were found to have the Jerusalem Cross tattooed on their skin and this was believed to protect the bearer from evil as they went into battle.