Bestiary: Being an English Version of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Bodley 764
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.73 (776 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 085115753X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-09-09 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The most delightful picture-book about animals you'll ever see. The translation is pellucid, and the colourful late-gothic illustrations really delightful. --Evening Standard . --Fortean TimesAn invaluable resource for readers and writers who aspire to understand how mediaeval men and women viewed the natural world, both actual and fantastical. Epic begets epic: stupendous and thought-provoking. --Historical Novels ReviewExcellent translation from the Latin original makes for fascinating reading about beasts, real and imaginary, of the medieval world
Bodley 764, was produced around the middle of the thirteenth century and is of singular beauty and interest. The lively illustrations have the freedom and naturalistic qualityof the later Gothic style, and make dazzling use of colour. Bestiaries are a particularly characteristic product of medieval England, and give a unique insight into the medieval mind. Richly illuminated and lavishly produced, they were luxury objects for noble families. Richard Barber's translation from the original Latin is a delight to read, capturing both the serious intent of the manuscript and its charm.. Their three-fold purpose was to provide a natural history of birds, beasts and fishes, to draw moral examples from animal behaviour (the industrious bee, the stubborn ass), and to reveal a mystical meaning - the phoenix, for instance, as a symbol ofChrist's resurrection. This book reproduces the 136 illuminations to the same size and in the same place as the original manuscript, fitting the text around them. This Bestiary, MS
. RICHARD BARBER has written many books on the history of and life in the middle ages, from his Somerset Maugham Award-winning The Knight and Chivalry, by way of biographies of Henry II and the Black Prince, to an anthology of Arthurian literature from England, France and Germany, Arthurian Legends, and an account of the historical Arthur, King Arthur: Hero and Legend. Hi
Lynda said Just a Mom. Look, I am just a mom. I am not some specialist in Medieval art or a religious commentator. I am just a mom. I have a six year old son who thinks the sun rises and set on this book. And with a little parental editing I read (most of) it aloud to him. The pictures are fantastic a. Ray said A Delighful Romp through the Animal World. If you are not familiar with the concept of a "bestiary," the best way to describe it is the attempt of the medieval mind to categorize and describe the animal kingdom. Bestiaries were the work of the educated class, because it was they alone who had the skills to write, and als. "Beautiful Beasts" according to Emily Blunt. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.