(In Pics) Six Pieces of Medieval Art which tell Half-Forgotten Stories

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When historians look to the records to understand the human side of our history, it is almost always the written word on which they focus. From the accounts of ancient historians to the mundane records of prosaic transactional life, much of our understanding of history comes from what was written down.

These accounts often need unpicking. Multiple viewpoints are usually layered on top of the description, suiting whatever motivations the historian or record keeper wanted to include.

Take, for example, the Bible. Supposedly much of the Old Testament was found by priests while renovating a temple in Jerusalem, and brought before the king at the time: Josiah. The text as presented by the priests was a strict and dogmatic ruleset for Judaism, apparently ancient beyond question and with (surprise, surprise) the priesthood at the center.

But not to worry, these scrolls also talked of a prophecy whereby Josiah would be the chosen king, who would unite Israel as another David. Josiah bought the story, sallied forth against his Egyptian oppressors with an army, and was promptly killed.

Often, as with the case above, it is the more recent gloss which is as interested as the original message. And this is rarely seen better than in artwork, where ancient events are given a modern spin.

Here are six such examples.

1. Alexander and the Diving Bell

*In 332 BC* *Alexander the Great* descended into the waters of the sea in what is described as “a very fine barrel made entirely of white glass” and was said to descend to over 600 feet (180 m). Medieval illuminators have gone to great lengths to recreate this *barrel, but their knowledge of Alexander’s time itself is much more vague: the great conqueror and his companions are portrayed in full medieval garb, a millennia-long anachronism (Unknown Artist /* *Public Domain*)

2. 14th Century Bear Baiting

It is not just historical ignorance which is displayed in medieval manuscripts, however. Often the depictions of real life are given as much creative latitude as the more fanciful illustrations, as with this picture of *bear* baiting. The bear and the chain holding him are made to seem enormous and the faces of those involved show the peril they are in, but there are useful details of the equipment used to wrangle the animals and the appropriate medieval dress as well (Unknown Author / *CC BY 4.0*)

3. Golf in the Margins

Often it is in the smaller, decorative drawings that we find treasure. The principal illustrations almost always portray a famous event, and we will have information on that from elsewhere, but with the little drawings the illuminator could include whatever he saw fit. Hence it is that we see, amongst the pages of a 13th century manuscript, what may be the earliest depiction of golf, where players seem to compete for the *ball* *and wave their clubs like* *weapons. Perhaps what we are actually seeing is ice-hockey… (Stad Brugge /* *CC BY-SA 4.0*)

4. Medieval Baseball

*It’s not It’s not just golf that was being played, either. This Iberian manuscript from the 13th century clearly shows a form of medieval* *baseball*. The accompanying notes remove any doubt: the activity is described as a game where a ball is tossed at a person holding a stick, and if the ball is hit into the air the opposing players must try to catch it. But for examples such as this chance illustration, such activities risk being forgotten forever (Unknown Author / *Public Domain*)

5. Nudity Behind Closed Doors

*Would you think the illuminator of this 15th century illustration had ever seen a public* *baths*? It would probably seem very unlikely to us, but there are details in this drawing which offer a (possibly unique) insight into what such places were like. Guests of both sexes are shown mingling in a giant wooden tub set for *dinner, or in bed together, and everyone has kept their hat on for some reason (Unknown Author /* *Public Domain*)

6. Mad Dogs and Araby

*This 13th century illustration from an Arabic* *medical* *text depicts how medieval engravers understood a rabid dog to appear. The* *dog* is emaciated and has red eyes and a snaring, salivating mouth, suggesting a fair amount of familiarity with such stricken animals. Perhaps rabies was a more prominent presence in the minds of medieval illuminators than in the modern psyche, and it should also be noted that this image is entirely practical and based on observation: nowhere do we see a divine presence or a suggestion of anything beyond the tangible (Abdallah ibn al-Fadl / *Public Domain*)

Top Image: This painting by the Master of Trecento in 1350 showing the bargaining for the cloth of the crucifixion tells us as much about 14th century Italy as it does the Bible. Source: Master of Trecento / Public Domain.

By Joseph Green

References

Joseph Green

Joseph Green is editor for Historic Mysteries, which combines his background in English Literature with a lifelong fascination for the strange and the unexplained. Read More

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