The Medieval Monk

Blogum scribo

Picture
  • Welcome
  • What I do
  • Blog
  • Projects & Publications
  • Buy me a coffee
  • Contact Me

23/6/2016

Making Sense of the Bayeux Tapestry

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Click on image for more details about the book.
Excitement afoot, blessed readers!

​Dr Monk, my alter ego, has informed me that a new book about the Bayeux Tapestry is being launched at the big medieval congress at Leeds.  (You can click on the poster for full details about the book.)

​There are some intriguing essays in this collection, including the first ever study of the back of the Tapestry by an embroidery practitioner, Alexandra Lester-Makin.   If you look closely at the cover of the book, you will notice that it is in fact an image of the reverse of the Tapestry that you see!

​I have to say that Dr Monk's own contribution left me with a familiar sense of despair, for he writes about the naked figures in the borders.  What can you say?

​If you do feel inclined to enter his world of near depravity, blessed ones, you may find the two blog posts I allowed him to write a while back, well, I'd like to say informative, but really it's just filth. 
The Problem of the Bayeux Tapestry Erection
Verdict on the Bayeux Tapestry Erection

Share

0 Comments

12/6/2016

Medieval Charades IV: Get off the rocky road

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Above: The Harley Psalter, Psalm 4, detail of prancing horses and three wolves.  Below: Harley Psalter, Psalm 4 in full.  All images in this post by permission of the British Library: © The British Library Board, Harley MS 603, folio 2v.
Wolves, prancing horses and a man leaping from a tomb.  The Anglo-Saxon Monk takes it all in his virtuous stride as he marches deeper into the 
​picture world of the Harley Psalter.
Picture

Go to the Harley Psalter, British Library
Go to the Utrecht Psalter

Beloved readers,

​It's been an age since I nurtured your spirit with my blessed game of medieval charades, based upon the Anglo-Saxon Harley Psalter.  I have felt your deprivation keenly.  So here I make amends by offering you my take on Psalm 4. 

For those not familiar with the concept of psalter charades, please see the information box 'What you need to know to play medieval charades', and for heaven's sake get yourselves up to date!
What you need to know to play medieval charades
The eleventh-century Harley Psalter is an English copy of the Carolingian Utrecht Psalter, produced in the ninth century.  Each of the Psalms in these great manuscripts is cleverly illustrated by focusing on individual words or phrases that appear in the text. 

So what you see is not 'narrative art' in the traditional sense, where a story progressively unfolds visually (by way of example, you might think of illustrated scenes from the Old Testament in medieval manuscripts, or your own modern comic strips), but rather you get to participate in the artist's game of 'which-bit-am-I?'  Hence, the art historian William Noel coined the phrase ‘medieval charades’, which is what you're about to play now.  Oh yes you are!

Read More

Share

0 Comments

1/6/2016

"Get your seax out, Matthew!"

1 Comment

Read Now
 
Picture
Above: Matthew's pattern-welded seax.  Right: Matthew Harffy, author of The Bernicia Chronicles.  Photos courtesy of Matthew Harffy.
The Anglo-Saxon Monk interviews Matthew Harffy, the new Bernard Cornwell, whoever he is... 
Picture
Go to the Interview

Share

1 Comment
Details

    Author

    Welcome, blessed readers! This is the blog of the Medieval Monk, the alter ego of Dr Christopher Monk.

    Archives

    April 2025
    July 2024
    June 2024
    August 2023
    March 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

cookieassistant.com
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Welcome
  • What I do
  • Blog
  • Projects & Publications
  • Buy me a coffee
  • Contact Me