12-20-2021, 12:39 PM
Naughty Nuns, Flatulent Monks, and Other Surprises of Sacred Medieval Manuscripts
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Weird Medieval Marginalia
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Flipping through an illustrated manuscript from the 13th century, youââ¬â¢d be forgiven for thinking that Jesus loved a good fart joke. Thatââ¬â¢s because the margins of these handmade devotional books were filled with imagery depicting everything from scatological humor to mythical beasts to sexually explicit satire. Though we may still get a kick out of poop jokes, we arenââ¬â¢t used to seeing them visualized in such lurid detail, and certainly not in holy books. But in medieval Europe, before books were mass-produced and reading became a pastime for plebes, these lavish manuscripts were all the rageââ¬âif you could afford them. The educated elite hired artisans to craft these exquisitely detailed religious texts surrounded by all manner of illustrated commentary, known today as marginalia.
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http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles...nuscripts/
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ââ¬Åââ¬ÅMarginalia helps us recognize that medieval society was as complex as our own.ââ¬Â
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All those poor monks and nuns! All work and no play makes what? Â ;)
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Weird Medieval Marginalia
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Flipping through an illustrated manuscript from the 13th century, youââ¬â¢d be forgiven for thinking that Jesus loved a good fart joke. Thatââ¬â¢s because the margins of these handmade devotional books were filled with imagery depicting everything from scatological humor to mythical beasts to sexually explicit satire. Though we may still get a kick out of poop jokes, we arenââ¬â¢t used to seeing them visualized in such lurid detail, and certainly not in holy books. But in medieval Europe, before books were mass-produced and reading became a pastime for plebes, these lavish manuscripts were all the rageââ¬âif you could afford them. The educated elite hired artisans to craft these exquisitely detailed religious texts surrounded by all manner of illustrated commentary, known today as marginalia.
Â
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles...nuscripts/
Â
Â
ââ¬Åââ¬ÅMarginalia helps us recognize that medieval society was as complex as our own.ââ¬Â
Â
Â
All those poor monks and nuns! All work and no play makes what? Â ;)
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