Tag: medieval
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31 Days of Medieval Manuscripts
31 Days of Medieval Manuscripts is a series I wrote in October 2015 as part of my participation in a 31-day bogging challenge. Participants were encouraged to select a specific topic to focus on during the challenge, and I chose medieval manuscripts – a topic I love and studied extensively in college. Every day, I…
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Gargoyles and Grotesques of Melrose Abbey, Scotland
I’ve recently been reading a book about the history of British myths and legends concerning dragons, so it made sense to me that today’s gargoyle should be from the United Kingdom. I was looking for some sort of dragon-like gargoyle but fell in love with this bagpipe-playing pig instead. Isn’t he charming? I found him via ferrebeekeeper’s blog; look there…
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Gargoyle and Grotesques of Windsor Castle
I’ve noticed that many of the quirkiest and most unique gargoyles that catch my eye are from England. This little man looks almost like he could be a cartoon character or a figure in an animated movie about the Middle Ages.
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Carmina Burana
I’ve been working on a dance routine to “Carmina Burana” and wanted to do some research on the history of the piece. I was planning to write more about gargoyles this week, but I decided to write about this instead when I saw a picture of the original medieval manuscript.* Before it was a well-known piece of…
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Gargoyles and Grotesques of All Saints’ Church, Gresford, Wales
Here are some subtle and cheeky grotesques from All Saints Church in Gresford, Wales.
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Gargoyle and Grotesques of St. John’s Cathedral, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Technically, these little fellows are grotesques rather than true gargoyles, but who cares when they’re so charming? Apes, monkeys, and related creatures had rather poor connotations in the Middle Ages, symbolizing a variety of evils and sins including greed and lust, but this pair is depicted with a touching humanity nonetheless.
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Writing Prompt #17: Basilique Royale de Saint-Denis
Today’s prompt didn’t particularly interest me or feel like a good fit for this blog, but the additional challenge was to write in a style different from my usual one, which I liked a lot. I like my writing to flow and include lots of description; I never skimp on the words. Therefore, I decided…
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Writing Prompt #7: Contrast, Controversy, and the Cloisters Cross
Today’s prompt told me to write about a contrast between two things. The first idea that came to mind for me was contrasting points of view or interpretations. Have you ever been in a situation where you and someone else experienced the exact same thing at the exact same time, yet both of you were…
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Writing Prompt #3 – thoughts on art
Today’s prompt told me to write stream of conscious for at least 15 minutes in order to develop a habit of writing every day. The topic I was given was to write about three songs that affect me and how they make me feel. I did the assignment and was pleased with what I wrote,…
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Gargoyles and Grotesques of Reims Cathedral, France
This gargoyle is so strange! From the differences in the stone, I assume that the creepy head is a later alteration or restoration, but I’m still not sure what the figure is supposed to represent. The words “crazed donkey” come to mind, however.
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Gargoyles and Grotesques of St. Giles High Kirk, Edinburgh
My Facebook friend Sara requested gargoyles of the Scottish Highlands for my next gargoyle of the day. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any luck tracking down photos of specifically Highland gargoyles. So many of the gorgeous churches out there are in such a state of ruin that in most cases, whatever gargoyles they may have once had…
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Gargoyles and Grotesques of Notre Dame de Paris
This 19th-century grotesque comes from the great Gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.
