The Monstrous Middle Ages

251 Pages·2003·43.76 MB·English

by  Bilhauer

The Monstrous Middle Ages
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The Monstrous
Middle Ages
\f'\f /r' I - Y
edited by
BETTINA B1LDHAUER and ROBERT MILLS
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
TORONTO AND BUFFALO
2003
©The Contributors, 2003
Canadian Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is a\·ailable from the National Library.
ISBN 0-8020-8719-1 (cloth)
0-8020-8667-5 (paper)
The rights of the Contributors to be identified as authors of their
Contributions have been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Typeset by Bryan Turnbull
Printed in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd., Bodmin, Cornwall
Contents
List of Illustrations vu
Acknowledgements IX
Notes on Contributors XI
Abbreviations XIV
1. Introduction: Conceptualizing the Monstrous 1
BETTINA B1LDHAUER and RosERT MILLS
2. Jesus as Monster 28
ROBERT MILLS
3. Monstrous Masculinities in Julian of Norwich's
A Revelation of Love and The Book of Margery Kempe 55
Liz HERBERT McAvoY
4. Blood, Jews and Monsters in Medieval Culture 75
BETTINA B1LDHAUER
5. The Other Close at Hand: Gerald of Wales and the
'Marvels of the West' 97
AsA S1MoN M1TTl\IAN
6. Idols and Simulacra: Paganity, Hybridity and
Representation in Mandeville's Travels 113
SARAH SALIH
7. Demonizing the Night in Medieval Europe: A Temporal
Monstrosity? 134
DEBORAH YouNGS and S1MoN HARRIS
VI Contents
8. Apocalyptic Monsters: Animal Inspirations for the
Iconography of Medieval North European Devourers 155
ALEKS PLUSKOWSK!
9. Hell on Earth: Encountering Devils in the Medieval
Landscape 177
j EREMY HARTE
10. Encountering the Monstrous: Saints and Dragons in
Medieval Thought 196
SAMANTHA J. E. RICHES
Further Reading 219
Index 227
List of Illustrations
1. Lionel, the lion-faced boy (c.1900). The Han·ard Theatre
Collection, The Houghton Library. By permission. 16
2. Lion-human hybrid. Wonders of the East (c.1025-50). BL, Cotton
MS Tiberius B.V, fol. 81r. By permission of The British Library. 17
3. Allegory of the phoenix. Guillaume le Clerc, Bestiaire (c.1265-70).
Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, MS fr. 14969, fol. 14v. Photo:
Bibliotheque nationale de France. By permission. 36
4. Three-headed Trinity. Stone head-stop (c.1260). Salisbury cathedral.
Photo: Conway Library, Courtauld Institute of Art. By permission. 39
5. Three-headed Trinity. Psalter (thirteenth century). St John's College,
Cambridge, MS K26, fol. 9v. Photo: Conway Library, Courtauld
Institute of Art. By permission of the Master and Fellows of
St John's College, Cambridge. 40
6. Monstrous Races. Bestiary (c.1270-90). London, Westminster
Abbey, MS 22, fol. 3r. ©Dean and Chapter of Westminster. 44
7. Bird-Christ hybrid. Detail of lower marginal figure in English Book
of Hours and Psalter (c.1300). The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore,
MS 102, fol. 56v. By permission. 48
8. Deposition of Christ from the Cross. The Luttrell Psalter (c.1340). BL,
Additional MS 42130, fol. 94v. By permission of The British Library. 49
9. Ebstorf world map (c. thirteenth century). Reproduction from
Ernst Sommerbrodt, Die Ebstorfer Weltkarte (Hanover: Hahn'sche
Buchhandlung, 1891). By permission of the Syndics of Cambridge
University Library. 78
\'lll ______ _ L_ist of Illustrations
10. Gog and Magog. Detail from north-east corner of the Ebst0rf
world map (c. thirteenth century). Reproduction from Ernst
Sommerbrodt, Die Ebstorfer Weltkarte (Hanover: Hahn'sche
Buchhandlung, 1891). By permission of the Syndics of Cambridge
University Library. 79
11. Bearded lady and ox-man. Gerald of Wales, Topographia
Hibernica {thirteenth century). BL, Royal MS 13.b.VIII, fol. 19r.
By permission of The British Libraq: 100
12. Sr Mark as initial M. Bury New Testament (early twelfth century).
Cambridge, Pembroke College MS 120, fol. 31r. By permission of
the Masters and Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge. 117
13. Ox-man idol. Mandeville's Travels (fifteenth century). BL, Royal
MS 17.c.XXXVIII, fol. 38v. By permission of The British Library. 123
14. The worships of Chana. Mandeville's Travels (fifteenth century). BL,
Harley MS 3954, fol. 33r. By permission of The British Library. 124
15. Hell's gates locked. Winchester Psalter (mid-twelfth century). BL,
Cotton MS Nero C.IV, fol. 39r. By permission of The British Library. 156
16. Doorway of church of St Mary and St David, Kilpeck, Herefordshire
(twelfth century). Phot0: Peter Evans. By permission. 163
17. St George and the dragon. English wooden sculpture (fifteenth
century). Herbert Museum and Art Gallery, Coventr):
Phot0: Jenny Alexander. By permission. 207
18. Albrecht Diirer, St Michael in Combat. Woodcut (early sixteenth
century). Photo: Warburg Institute. By permission. 209
19. Copy after Martin Schongauer, Temptation of St Anthony Abbot.
Woodcut (early sixteenth century). Phot0: Warburg Institute. By
permission. 210
Acknowledgements
The essays in this volume arise, for the most part, from two
conferences: a symposium on 'Medieval Horror' held at Pembroke
College, Cambridge, in July 1999; and three linked sessions on 'The
Monstrous Middle Ages', which took place at the International
Medieval Congress, Leeds, in July 2001. Thanks are owed to the
Master and Fellows of Pembroke College and the Leeds IMC pro
gramming committee for making both these meetings possible. We are
also very grateful to the participants in those events for the lively talks
and exchanges on matters monstrous. The anonymous reader for
University of Wales Press made a number of additional helpful
suggestions in relation to the book itself. We wish to extend special
thanks to Duncan Campbell at the Press, for his initial enthusiasm and
for his accommodating, efficient and friendly manner at the
production stage. Finally, thanks to all our friends and colleagues who
have shared - and endured - our fascination with monsters, medieval
and modern.