The Needle in the Blood

The irresistible attraction in this story is the convincing and believable love affair existing between Bishop Odo and Gytha, his Saxon mistress. The underlying thread which weaves in and out of the story is the Bayeux Tapestry: an embroidered rearrangement of fact, offering a more palatable chronicle of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Although the tapestry is highly regarded for its exquisite workmanship; some parts are still questionable as to their original intent. The differing forms of love that the characters reveal for each other is the other theme which proves to be far more compelling and engaging than the history of the tapestry. Odo is both Bishop of Bayeux in Normandy and the Earl of Kent in the newly conquered England as well as William's half brother; he is a charismatic leader as well as a passionate theologian. Gytha, a member of the household of Harold and Edith, has been a witness to the death of Harold and the barbarity of the conquest. Her primary reason for existence is to kill the Bishop, who she feels is responsible for the annihilation of her Saxon world. That these two will fall in love is seemingly preordained, but the lovers have differing conflicts which are never fully resolved. Gytha cannot forget the savagery of the conquest and Odo's part in it, although her love for him continues unabated. Odo, on the other hand, is forever spiritually bound to her: he feels closer to God in her embrace than when he is in prayerful meditation. History does not reveal much information about the real Odo. There may have been a similarity in the fictional and historic Odo which they shared - both were equally comfortable with the secular as well as the sacred.