![]() ![]() In one manuscript, a naked woman is shown riding on a flying phallus creature, while in another, a medical treatise of John Arderne, a disembodied penis is depicted in a basket. In another, the Ormesby Psalter, a man is shown blowing a trumpet into the anus of a horse-headed boy. ![]() In the Rutland Psalter, for instance, there is the image of a naked man flaunting his behind, while a simian figure, armed with a lance and shield and riding an ostrich or goose, charges at him. This drollerie Maastricht Book of Hours depicts a woman (a nun?) dancing to music played by a monk. Such obscene or erotic art was not limited to secular literature but also found in sacred texts. Sexuality was a theme that the Medieval illustrators seemed to have relished dealing with. The subject of drolleries did not only include animals, real or imagined, humorous or serious, but also revolved around a variety of other themes. (Soerfm / Public Domain ) Other Imagery In Drolleries Medieval bestiaries were used in drolleries. These images, however, were not meant to humor but to serve as a statement of the family’s prestige. As manuscripts were often commissioned by nobles, it would have been natural that their arms and heraldic be depicted in such works as drolleries. Medieval bestiaries are also believed to have served as the inspiration for the heraldic beasts that adorn the arms of the European nobility. It may be added that these creatures are normally drawn based on their descriptions as found in the bestiaries.Ī page of the Maastricht Book of Hours (BL Stowe MS17), an illuminated manuscript mainly known for its lively depictions of animals and half-animals. Such drolleries include both real animals, including birds and stags, and fantastic creatures, like dragons and unicorns. Nevertheless, the creatures of such bestiaries retained their popularity and continued to be depicted as drolleries. Bestiaries are thought to have lost their appeal by the second half of the 13 th century, as evident in their decreased production. This type of drollerie had its origins in bestiaries, which are compendia of beasts that were hugely popular during the Middle Ages. ![]() (Kallinikov / Public Domain ) Animals Used in DrolleriesĪpart from aggressive rabbits, drolleries also depict a variety of other animals. Thus, such drolleries were clearly meant to humor observers.ĭrolleries of the Middle Ages included rabbits engaged in acts of violence. Considering that the rabbit is one of the most timid of animals, it is impossible to imagine them engaged in such acts. This is seen, for example, in the drawings of rabbits engaged in acts of violence – decapitating human prisoners, jousting, and hunting other animals. One of these is the depiction of anthropomorphized animals or animals doing human activities. Drolleries fall into the latter category and include a variety of subjects. While some of these manuscript decorations may be considered to be intricate works of art, others stand out thanks to their bizarre nature. Such decorations are usually found on the margins of the text and come in a variety of forms. Apart from the scribes, who were responsible for copying the text of the manuscript, the process also involved illustrators, who had the task of decorating the work. Drolleries – Works of Art and Bizarre Decorationsĭuring the Middle Ages, the production of manuscripts was an expensive endeavor due to the skill and time required. While drolleries are often meant to evoke laughter, they may be understood at a deeper level and reveal aspects of society at that time. The practice, however, was especially popular between the 13 th and 15 th centuries. Drolleries are amusing, often grotesque, figures drawn on the edges of manuscripts and may be found in works from different parts of Europe throughout the Middle Ages. A drollerie (also spelled as drollery) is a type of marginalia found on Medieval manuscripts. ![]()
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