Why is the story that Harold II died from an arrow in the eye uncertain?

The account that Harold II died from an arrow in the eye is considered uncertain for several reasons:

• Ambiguity of the Bayeux Tapestry: The Bayeux Tapestry is the primary source for this legend, but it is visually ambiguous. The caption Hic Harold Rex Interfectus Est ("Here King Harold has been killed") spans two figures: one clutching a shaft near his face and another being struck down by a knight. It is unclear which figure represents the king, or if both do.1
• Restoration Concerns: The arrow depicted in the tapestry may not be original. Evidence suggests that the feathered flights on the shaft were likely added during a 19th-century restoration; earlier engravings show no such details, leading scholars to speculate the weapon was originally a spear.1
• Conflicting Historical Accounts: Other contemporary and near-contemporary sources provide varying descriptions of his death. Some accounts simply state he perished, while others describe him being hacked to pieces by Norman warriors. Later chroniclers combined these narratives, suggesting he was struck by an arrow before being killed in close combat.1