29 November 2013
Medieval Movember
We in the Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts section would like to congratulate everyone who has taken part in this year's Movember fund-raising drive (including some members of the British Library staff!). To honour your achievements in some small way, we would like to offer this brief glance back at several choice examples of medieval manuscript moustaches. In keeping with the spirit of Movember, we've largely tried to restrain ourselves to 'staches alone, although a few beards may have slipped while our backs were turned.
We'll lead off with this imperial example: the stylish and well-moustachioed Emperor Lothar I.
Miniature of an enthroned Lothar (or Lothaire) I, wearing a cloak covered in jewels, from the Lothar Psalter, Germany (Aachen), c. 840-855, Add MS 37768, f. 4r
Another fine specimen can be found on this personification of Justice from a 14th century copy of the Carmina regia, although his companion, Prudence, doesn't look too impressed (and her judgement ought to be trusted, after all).
Detail of a miniature of the personifications of Prudence and Justice, from the Carmina regia (Address of the City of Prato to Robert of Anjou), Italy (Tuscany), c. 1335, Royal MS 6 E IX, f. 21r
This noble member of Sulieman's army does not appear to have done very well during the 1519 Siege of Vienna, but even in defeat his facial hair has retained all its glory (and how could anyone ask for more, really?).
Detail of a miniature of Sulieman and his army being driven from the Siege of Vienna in 1519, from the Triumphs of Charles V, Italy or the Netherlands, c. 1556-1575, Add MS 33733, f. 9r
Next time you look up in the heavens, spare a thought for the moustaches preserved there for all of eternity. Because there are some, you know, at least according to the French miscellany below:
Detail of a tinted ink drawing of the constallations Boötes and Corona, from a miscellany with works on the Computus and astrology, France, last quarter of the 11th century - first quarter of the 12th century, Royal MS 13 A XI, f. 105v
Although women's support for Movember is necessary and valued, it is the rare lady that can participate directly by growing some facial hair of her own, but we found one! Witness the famous Bearded Woman of Limerick:
Detail of a bas-de-page painting of the Bearded Woman of Limerick, from Gerald of Wales' Topographia Hibernica, England (Lincoln?), c. 1196-1223, Royal MS 13 B VII, f. 19r
But if your moustache efforts this year met with less-than-perfect results, you may need a little consolation from a good friend...
Detail of an historiated initial 'Q'(uantos) of two men, from Hrabanus Maurus' De laudibus sanctae crucis, Germany (Arnstein), c. 1170-1180, Harley MS 3045, f. 12r
... or perhaps just the reminder that this is in your future come the first of December:
Detail of a miniature of Dagobert cutting his tutor's beard, from the Grandes Chroniques de France, France (Paris), 1332-1350, Royal MS 16 G VI, f. 93v
Congratulations to everyone who took part in Movember!
- Sarah J Biggs
27 November 2013
Marginali-yeah: Take 2! The Incomparable Luttrell Psalter
It is almost impossible to discuss the fabulous and incomparable Luttrell Psalter (Add MS 42130) without resorting to hyperbole. Produced in Lincolnshire, England c. 1320-1340, for Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, its namesake and patron (please see our earlier blog post for more details), the manuscript is a glorious explosion of visual delights. Besides the illuminated and historiated initials, the Psalter contains hundreds of marginal and bas-de-page images which display a staggering and creative diversity. A very few (compared with the overwhelming numbers in the manuscript!) selected details are below; please have a look at the fully digitised manuscript here for much much more.
A lady with a pet squirrel, Add MS 42130, f. 33r
A monkey riding a goat whilst hawking (except with an owl, so not hawking), Add MS 42130, f. 38r
The martyrdom of Thomas Becket, with a grotesque nearby, and later 'x' marks effacing the painting, Add MS 42130, f. 51r
A dejected, nude, and tonsured man (a winning combination!) with an archer below, Add MS 42130, f. 54r
A man being bled into a bowl while an attentive bird looks on, Add MS 42130, f. 61r
A blue-skinned man (perhaps a Saracen or Ethiopian?) doing battle with a dragon (not a snail in sight), Add MS 42130, f. 83v
Medieval Angry Birds, Add MS 42130, f. 145r
Two grotesques fighting and fighting dirty, Add MS 42130, f. 153r
A monkey being extremely rude, as far as we can tell, Add MS 42130, f. 189v
A cat (of course!), Add MS 42130, f. 190r
Stealing fruit, Add MS 42130, f. 196v
A female grotesque riding, um, herself, Add MS 42130, f. 198v
This grotesque is unimpressed, Add MS 42130, f. 202r
Eeyore-ish, Add MS 42130, f. 208v
Check me out, Add MS 42130, f. 210r
This won't end well, Add MS 42130, f. 211r
Please let us know if you have any other favourites; you can always leave us a note in the comments below, or get in touch with us on Twitter @BLMedieval.
- Sarah J Biggs
25 November 2013
Happy St Catherine's Day!
St Catherine of Alexandria was one of the most venerated saints and martyrs in the medieval era, and indeed still is today. Especially on this day, which is that of her feast; we hope you all have your fireworks ready for a St Catherine’s Wheel!
Miniature of St Catherine before the wheel, with the Emperor Maxentius in the background, from the Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours, England (London) and Netherlands (Bruges), 1401- c. 1500, Royal MS 2 A XVIII, f. 15v
According to her legend, Catherine was born to the pagan King Constus and Queen Sabinella of Alexandria in the very late 3rd century AD. She was said to have been extremely well-educated, and converted to Christianity as a teenager. Her devotion to Christ was such that she determined to visit the Roman Emperor Maxentius to argue against his persecution of Christians. Needless to say, Maxentius was not receptive to her pleas, and had the young woman scourged and then thrown into prison. While there she was visited by a number of notables, including Maxentius’ wife; Catherine’s passionate eloquence, we are told, succeeded in converting all of these visitors to Christianity, even though this meant that they were immediately put to death by the Roman authorities.
Detail of a miniature of St Catherine being scourged, from the Taymouth Hours, England, 2nd quarter of the 14th century, Yates Thompson MS 13, f. 16v
After prison proved an ineffective constraint on Catherine, legend has it that the Emperor Maxentius tried a proposal of marriage, which Catherine rejected on the grounds that she had consecrated her virginity to Christ (although one imagines that the Christian-executing Emperor would not have been an attractive candidate to her regardless). Maxentius did not take this well either, and sent Catherine to be executed on the back-breaking spiked wheel. The wheel, however, miraculously broke apart the moment Catherine touched it, so Maxentius ordered that she be beheaded.
Miniature of St Catherine being beheaded, from a Book of Hours (Use of Angers), France (Angers), c. 1450, Harley MS 5370, f. 167r
St Catherine is one of the most recognizable saints in medieval art, as she is usually depicted with one or both of the instruments of her martyrdom, most often the spiked wheel. Devotion to her in the Middle Ages was intense, and miniatures of her appear in many manuscripts of the period. A number of these can be found below, including a remarkable sequence in the Queen Mary Psalter that details her martyrdom.
Detail of an historiated initial of St Catherine praying and the wheel breaking, from the Harley Hours (Use of Sarum), England, last quarter of the 13th century, Harley MS 928, f. 10r
Miniature of St Catherine before her suffrage, from a Book of Hours (Use of Sarum), Netherlands (Bruges), c. 1500, King’s MS 9, ff, 58v-59r
Miniature of St Catherine, much effaced (possibly because of devotional kissing of the miniature), from a Book of Hours (Use of Sarum), Netherlands, 3rd quarter of the 15th century, Harley MS 2966, f. 10r
Detail of a bas-de-page image of St Catherine in prison, surrounded by musical angels, from the Queen Mary Psalter, England, 1310-1320, Royal MS 2 B VII, f. 280r
Detail of a bas-de-page image of St Catherine praying and angels breaking apart the spiked wheel, from the Queen Mary Psalter, Royal MS 2 B VII, f. 283r
Detail of a bas-de-page image of St Catherine being buried by angels on Mount Sinai, from the Queen Mary Psalter, Royal MS 2 B VII, f. 284r
St Catherine is considered the patron saint of unmarried girls, craftspeople who work with wheels, such as potters and spinners, philosophers, students, librarians and archivists (luckily for us). Please do let us know if you have any other favourite images of this venerable saint, and we hope you have a happy St Catherine’s Day!
18 November 2013
Guess the Manuscript IX
We're returning to our Guess the Manuscript roots (which stretch all the way back to April of this year) for this latest instalment of everyone's favourite game: it's a diagram!
Same rules as always: the manuscript this comes from is part of the British Library collections and can be found somewhere on our Digitised Manuscripts site. Extra points if you can tell us what kind of diagram this is - good luck!
You can see previous examples of these puzzles here, and as always, you can leave a guess in the comments below, or contact us on Twitter @BLMedieval.
Update: This diagram is from Arundel MS 501, a miscellany put together from a number of different codices that range in date from the 11th to the 16th century and produced in Germany. Congratulations to @melibeus1, who solved this with impressive speed, and provided the following description: 'Diagram, at the end of an explanation to the Tables for finding the moveable feasts, the age of the moon, the golden number and the hour of the new moon.' Well done!
14 November 2013
A New Life for Royal Manuscripts
It is always a great pleasure for us in the Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts Section to see the many and varied new ways that people make use of our 'old' material; see, for example, the dozens of retweets on our @BLMedieval Twitter account, or our previous post about a film inspired by the Luttrell Psalter. So, when Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Leckey asked to borrow several banners that had been on display during Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination for an exhibition he was curating, we were thrilled to participate.
Leckey's exhibition The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things was sponsored by the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, and travelled to Liverpool, Nottingham, and Bexhill on Sea earlier this year. The exhibition explored 'how our relationships with artworks and common objects alike are being transformed through new information technologies' and included works of art from every genre and period. If you weren't able to catch the exhibition, here are a few images of our Royal banners in action!
Installation view: The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things curated by Mark Leckey, a Hayward Touring exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary 27 April – 30 June 2013. Photo: Andy Keate
Installation View: The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things curated by Mark Leckey, a Hayward Touring exhibition at De La Warr Pavilion 13 July – 20 October 2013. Photo: Nigel Green
Installation View: detail of a Mappa mundi from Bartholomaeus Angelicus' De proprietatibus rerum, Royal MS 15 E III, f. 67v, behind Double Dome, 1967 by Derek Boshier, courtesy the Arts Council Collection from The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things curated by Mark Leckey, a Hayward Touring exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary 27 April – 30 June 2013. Photo: Andy Keate
11 November 2013
An Imperial Psalter
One of our latest uploads to the Digitised Manuscripts website is this exquisite copy of the Psalms which dates from the middle of the ninth century and takes its name from Lothar I, the grandson of Charlemagne and successor to half of his kingdom.
Binding of the Lothar Psalter with a large silver-gilt medallion showing a head in profile wearing a crown or helmet; it is believed to be from the 9th century and may represent the Emperor Lothar, Add MS 37768, upper binding
Following a prayer in gold and red on the opening folios is a full page portrait of the Emperor Lothar wearing a cloak decorated with precious stones. On the page opposite is a dedicatory poem to Lothar written throughout in gold capitals.
Full-page miniature of the Emperor Lothar, from the Lothar Psalter, Germany (Aachen), c. 840-855, Add MS 37768, f. 4r
Following the miniature of Lothar - and in the same style - are portraits of King David and St Jerome, whose translation of the Bible into Latin was the standard version used throughout Christendom in the Middle Ages. Here Jerome is shown holding a book with a jewelled cover, perhaps representing a copy of his translation.
Full-page miniature of St Jerome, from the Lothar Psalter, Germany (Aachen), c. 840-855, Add MS 37768, f. 6r
The artist or artists responsible for the Psalter deliberately portrayed Lothar in the company of two of the most important religious leaders of the past, who represent power and knowledge. This manuscript was produced either at the imperial court of Aachen or by the monks of the abbey of St Martin, Tours, who made a series of exquisite books for the Imperial family, and was clearly a luxurious production. Every word in the entire manuscript is written in gold, and every tenth Psalm opens with a full-page ornamented initial in the Franco-Saxon style.
Decorated initial 'B'(eatus vir) (Blessed is the man) at the beginning of Psalm 1, from the Lothar Psalter, Germany (Aachen), c. 840-855, Add MS 37768, f. 9r
This initial is followed by folio after folio of beautiful Carolingian script, punctuated by finely decorated initials in green, red and gold.
Text page from the Psalms, from the Lothar Psalter, Germany (Aachen), c. 840-855, Add MS 37768, f. 11r
This was no doubt a prized family possession, as the opening prayer is believed to have been composed by a sister or daughter of Lothar. It was passed on to the Abbey of St Hubert near Liège and is believed to have been stolen from the abbey in the eleventh century. Fortunately it was eventually recovered, and was rescued during the French Revolution by Dom Etienne, a monk of St Hubert. There is no record of how it came to England, but it was owned by Sir Thomas Brooke of Huddersfield, who bequeathed it to the British Museum in 1908.
Decorated initial 'Q'(uem ammodum) at the beginning of Psalm 41, from the Lothar Psalter, Germany (Aachen), c. 840-855, Add MS 37768, f. 45v
- Chantry Westwell
01 November 2013
A Calendar Page for November 2013
For more details on calendar pages or the Golf Book, please see the post for January 2013.
Hunting takes centre stage in these calendar pages for the month of November. In the full-page miniature, a nobleman can be seen returning from a stag-hunt; his quarry, a magnificently-antlered animal, is in the foreground, draped across a white horse. This nobleman is accompanied by two retainers and a group of tired-looking hounds, while in the background, peasants can be seen feeding their chickens and pigs, and preparing their farm buildings for winter. In the bas-de-page, a group of men are bowling - and, it appears, heatedly disputing a recent shot. On the following page are the saints' days and feasts for November, alongside a roundel containing a centaur archer for the zodiac sign Sagittarius; below, two men are coursing hounds on yet another hunt.
Calendar page for November with a miniature of a nobleman returning from a hunt, from the Golf Book (Book of Hours, Use of Rome), workshop of Simon Bening, Netherlands (Bruges), Additional MS 24098, f. 28v
Calendar page for November with a bas-de-page scene of men on a hunt, from the Golf Book (Book of Hours, Use of Rome), workshop of Simon Bening, Netherlands (Bruges), Additional MS 24098, f. 29r
31 October 2013
Dress Up for Halloween, Medieval Style
If Halloween has once again caught you unprepared, you may, like many of us, be desperately casting your mind about for a suitable get-up for this evening’s revelries. Have no fear! The Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts section would like to offer the following last-minute costume ideas:
A medieval fool: some rags, a stick, a round loaf of bread, and a vacant expression are all that you will need for this particular get-up; see below.
Detail of an historiated initial ‘D’(ixit) of King David and the fool, from the Queen Mary Psalter, England, 1310-1320, Royal MS 2 B VII, f. 150v
Detail of a miniature of the Fool, with a bauble, loaf and a dog, from Guyart de Moulins’ Bible historiale, France (Paris), 1356-1357, Royal MS 17 E VII, vol. 1, f. 241r
A memento mori: Nothing could be easier! Just wear a skeleton costume and carry around a banner reading 'Memento homo quod cinis es et in cinerem reverteris' (Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you will return) and you will provide an instant moral exemplar for everyone you meet.
Detail of a full-page miniature of a Memento Mori with a banner reading 'Memento homo quod sinis es et in sinere reverteris', from The Hours of René d’Anjou, France (Paris), c. 1410, Egerton MS 1070, f. 53r
Detail of an historiated initial 'D'(ilexi) with a woman (Duchess Dionora?) with a skull for a face admiring herself in a hand mirror, and a partial scatter border with gems and flowers including the motto ‘Memento homo’, at the beginning of the Office of the Dead, from the Hours of Dionora of Urbino, Italy (Florence or Mantua), c. 1480, Yates Thompson MS 7, f. 174r
Vanno Fucci: This unlovely character is featured in Cantos 24 and 25 of Dante’s Inferno. He stole treasure from the church of St James in the town of Pistoia, and accused an innocent man of the crime, who was then executed unjustly. For his sins Vanno was condemned to an eternity of torment by the monster Cacus, who will attack him until the day of judgement. This costume is a particularly easy one as it requires, well, nothing at all (except an angry monster and a willingness to abandon modesty). Those seeking a slightly less revealing get-up may consider the damned soul being attacked by a serpent on the right, or perhaps, if you have a companion for the Halloween festivities, you might like to dress up as Dante and Virgil and wander around providing a moral commentary on all you observe.
Detail of a miniature of Dante and Virgil witnessing Vanno Fucci, the pillager of a church in Pistoia, being attacked by the monster Cacus, who is half-centaur and half-dragon, and Dante and Virgil speaking to three other souls, tormented by snakes and lizards, in illustration of Canto XXV, from a copy of Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia, Italy (Tuscany, possibly Siena), between 1444 and c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 36, f. 46r
If you are lucky enough to be possessed of a number of fellow Halloween revelers, we have several suggestions for group costumes:
Wodewoses: you will need a number of hairy suits, some false beards, clubs, and a predilection to dance, but you are guaranteed to be the life of any party (warning: some other guests may attempt to set you on fire, so be wary).
Detail of a miniature of burning costumes of the 'hommes sauvages' during a masked dance in Paris, at the beginning of chapter 32, from Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, Vol. 4, Netherlands (Bruges), c. 1480, Royal MS 18 E II, f. 206r
Detail of the Dance of the Wodewoses, from Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, Vol. 4, part 2, Netherlands (Bruges), between c. 1470 and 1472, Harley MS 4380, f. 1r
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: this group costume necessitates some horses (or horse substitutes), and a level of agreement about who will be assigned which persona. For reference, they are as follows: White Horse – Conquest (sometimes Pestilence), Red Horse – War, Black Horse – Famine, and finally the Pale Horse – Death.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, from Beatus of Liébana, Commentary on the Apocalypse (The 'Silos Apocalypse'), Spain (Santo Domingo de Silos), 1091-1109, Add MS 11695, f. 102v
Personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins: carrying off these get-ups successfully might require a bit more organization, the acquisition of props, and again, suitable mounts, but what could be more fun?
Detail of a miniature of a man with a sword riding a lion, as a personification of Pride (Orgueil), and a woman with a sword, riding a wolf, as a personification of Envy (Envie), in the Penitential Psalms, from The Dunois Hours, France (Paris), c. 1339 – c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 159r
Detail of a miniature of a man riding on a donkey, head in hand, across a bridge, as a personification of Idleness (Peresse), in the Penitential Psalms, from The Dunois Hours, France (Paris), c. 1339 – c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 162r
Detail of a miniature of a man riding a leopard and stabbing himself with a sword, as a personification of Anger (Ire), in the Penitential Psalms, from The Dunois Hours, France (Paris), c. 1339 – c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 165v
Detail of a miniature of a wealthy man riding a wolf, carrying a sword and a chalice and followed by a servant with flagons of wine, as a personification of Gluttony (Gloutenie), in the Penitential Psalms, from The Dunois Hours, France (Paris), c. 1339 – c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 168v
Detail of a miniature of a well-dressed woman riding a white goat, carrying arrows and a mirror, as a personification of Lust (Luxure); behind, David spying upon Bathsheba in her bath, in the Penitential Psalms, from The Dunois Hours, France (Paris), c. 1339 – c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 172v
Detail of a miniature of a man riding an ape, carrying a chest full of coins, with scales and money on a table behind him, as a personification of Avarice (Auerrice), in the Penitential Psalms, from The Dunois Hours, France (Paris), c. 1339 – c. 1450, Yates Thompson MS 3, f. 174r
Please do let us know if you have any other suggestions for us; you can leave a comment below or on Twitter @BLMedieval. And of course, if you proceed with any of these costume ideas, please please send us pictures! Happy Halloween!
- Sarah J Biggs
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