Миниатюры

Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Ms-5219 réserve, detail of 133r. Le livre des voyages de Marco Polo, traduit par Robert Frescher. 1475-1525.









Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Ms-5219 réserve, detail of 152v. Le livre des voyages de Marco Polo, traduit par Robert Frescher. 1475-1525.





Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, 4009, f.55v. Pierre Fabri, Petit livret faict a l’honneur de madame saincte Anne et de la royne, sa fille, vierge pure, mere de Jesus-Christ. Dedicated to Louise of Savoy (1476-1531).

Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Ms-940 réserve, f. 34v (St Maurice, patron saint of infantry, menstrual cramps, and swordsmiths). Passio Mauritii et sotiorum ejus. 15th century

Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Ms-940 réserve, f. 39r. Passio Mauritii et sotiorum ejus. 15th century





Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arsenal 1036, f. 21v (Taurus). ‘Abd al-Rahmân al-Sûfî, Kitâb suwar al-kawâkib althâbita. Bologna, 3rd quarter of the 13th century.





Düsseldorf : Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, MS-D-12, detail of f. 194v. Gradual. Soest, 15th century.





Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 155, detail of f. 201v (the Whore of Babylon). Guiard des Moulins, Bible historiale. Paris, beginning of the 14th century.





Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 155, detail of f. 204 (the army of Satan). Guiard des Moulins, Bible historiale. Paris, beginning of the 14th century.

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 2813, f.7v (Vision of Childeric 1). Grandes chroniques de France de Charles V. Paris, 1375-1380.

” When queen Basina [The vision in this section, borrowed from Fredegar III.xii, transmitted by Aimon, I.viii, is perhaps ultimately to be derived from Daniel VII], the wife of king Bisinus of Thuringia, to whom the king had fled, learned that Childeric had come to a reconciliation with his barons, and was back in power, she left her husband, and came after Childeric in France, for, it is said that she had known him (carnally) while he stayed with her lord. He asked her why she had followed him and abandoned her lord, and she replied: “I came to you because I know and have tested your temperance and your ability, and if I thought that I could find a better man than you in any part of the world, no hardships of the journey, nor bodily labor could prevent me from going to find him.” When the king heard this response, he married her, like the pagan he was, forgetting the benefits bestowed upon him when he was driven from France, by Bissinus, the king of Thuringia, her first husband.

When they went to sleep in the evening, and they were in the privacy of their bed, the queen advised him to refrain from lying with her that evening, but to get up and go to the door of the palace, and she told him to describe what he saw. The king got up, and did what she told him to do. When he was in the front of the room, he seemed to see the large shapes of beasts, like unicorns, leopards, and lions, which were going and coming in front of the palace. He returned, frightened, and told the queen what he had seen. She told him not to be afraid, and to go back. When he returned, he saw large images of bears and wolves, as though they were running at each other. He returned to the queen’s bed, and told her his second vision. She told him to go back one more time. When he returned, he saw the shapes of dogs and little animals attacking each other. Returning to the queen, he told her everything he had seen. He asked her to explain the significance of these three visions, because he knew very well that she had not sent him for nothing. And she told him that he should remain chaste that night, and in the morning she would explain to him the significance of the three visions. Thus they remained until morning, when the queen called the king, who looked very troubled. Then she said to him: “Sir, remove these thoughts from your heart, and hear what I shall say. Understand clearly that these visions are not so much references to present events, as they are of things to come. Pay no attention to the forms of the animals you have seen, but to the facts and to the behavior of the lineage that will descend from you. For the first heir who will be born from you will be a man of noble prowess and great power, and that is what the shape of the unicorn and of the lion signifies, for they are the noblest and strongest of the beasts. The meaning of the second vision is this: the form of the bear and of the wolf represent your son’s children, who will be as rapacious as these beasts. The meaning of the third vision is this: the form of the dog, who is a worthless, lecherous animal, unable to do anything without the aid of men, represents the wretchedness and lethargy of those who, towards the end of the century (age) will hold the scepter and the crown of France. The crowd of small animals fighting among each other signifies the lower classes killing each other, because they will be without fear of the prince. Sir,” said the queen, “this is the explanation of the three visions, which clearly indicate things to come.” Thus the king was brought out of the thought into which he had fallen in response to the visions, and was happy with the noble lineage, and great number of fine men who would issue from him. [From France before Charlemagne, a translation of the first two volumes of Viard’s edition of Les Grandes Chroniques, Mellen Press, Lewiston, 1990.]

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 571, details of ff. 150r and 150v (the Devil takes Fauvain/Fauvel to hell). Raoul le Petit, Dit de Fauvain. Valenciennes, c.1326.









Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 571, detail of f.149v (the death of Fauvain). Raoul le Petit, Dit de Fauvain. Valenciennes, c.1326.





The Walters Art Museum, W.102, detail of f. 81r (rabbit ringing bells). Book of Hours. c.1300.