Dragons and spheres and chimeras, Oh my!

Some lovely and surreal Renaissance images of marvels and unexplained phenomena, from Taschen’s The Book of Miracles.

Pew pew pew! Malevolent forces play Space Invaders with trembling Christian folk.

This happened to a friend of a friend. He went to the shops to get a paper and some milk, but he found the whole area blasted into desert, then he was gnawed by a dragon and he went to heaven. Ker-razy.

It’s raining icebergs and sort of lion mask things, Hallelujah.

Flying duck-eel-Muppet creatures wearing crowns, obviously. Eh, happens all time round our way.

Wow, such sky beams, very dazzle, many falling over towrs, much giant sea doge.

An alarmingly massive comet makes the towers and spires go all wonky again.

Nobody could deny her crimefighting prowess, but Donkey Lizard Bearded Arse Bird Leg Woman just wasn’t working as a superheroine name.

Don’t hate you those days where huge golden spheres hover on the edge of town and shine ominous beams into your windows?

 

Ars Moriendi

The temptation of avarice. French edition of Ars Moriendi, 1465.

Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying) was a book that appeared in many editions across medieval Europe. This image is from a block-book edition, i.e. the words and pictures were each carved on the same wooden blocks instead of the text being set in futuristic movable type.  The demons appear to be tempting the man with visions of a new 1465 model executive horse, a nice hat, a big house with glass in the windows, and a wine cellar… though surely they’re too late if he’s on his death bed already? Step into my office, imps of Satan; your efficiency and the timeliness of your communications are severely lacking.

Seven hundred years on, this is looking a bit Muppety to me and reminding me of Labyrinth, especially the profoundly unscary demons. If David Bowie’s Goblin King get up of tights, codpiece and joke shop wig were shown here, that would be terrifying.