So, let’s talk about The Middle Ages. More specifically, monks and their manuscript writing tendencies.
Medieval art in books and manuscripts were quite colorful. As you can imagine, monks had a very boring existence. They spent their time in the cold, copying manuscripts over and over again. Monks would often take out their boredom by writing complaints. Some of these complaints include “I am very cold,” “The parchment is hairy” and “For Christ’s sake, give me a drink.” In fact, art historian Michael Camille, has written an entire book on this subject: Image on the Edge: The Margins of Medieval Art: Essays in Art and Culture. I have not read it, but it certainly seems an interesting read.
I find these complaints and musings entertaining. I think people have misgivings of the Middle Ages because they assume that people were more prudish during this era than today. But humans stay consistently the same: we are easily bored and when the mood strikes us, very creative.
These monks used the margins of manuscripts to write down their complaints as well as creative a few inspired pictures. Why not let your imagination run amuck, amuck, amuck? My favorite thing they did in the margins of the manuscripts, include these ridiculous drawings.
For instance, a mer-guy getting an arrow shot up his butt, cause why not?
A knight fighting a devilish snail while holding a face shield.
A man getting his head chopped up by a vengeful rabbit. Run Away! Run Away!
And my all time favorite, a lovely gentleman picking out penises from a phallus tree. I mean, WHAT?
A man holding a severed leg while trying to tame a small dragon.
The Middle Ages are a fascinating era to learn about. Nobody wants the bubonic plague, but everybody likes a bored monk. Am I right?
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