Gargoyles, hybrids, female serpents, or just beastly donkeys… medieval manuscripts, altars and architectural remains positively overflow with bestial others in the margins, on the rooftops and elsewhere. And then there are all the literary figures of weird animals and anthropomorphic creatures like werewolfs and vampires, which populate the literary heritage of the Middle Ages.
This beastly world is the theme of the upcoming conference next week in Paris, organized by the International Medieval Society. Focus is on the depictions in arts and literature. However, room has also been found for reflections upon the interpretations and philosophies put forward in medieval writing and authors like Boccaccio, Marie de France and Chrétien.
For those, who are not able to participate, one of the keynote speakers, Christian Heck, has recently published a grand volume with more than 600 reproductions of miniatures of this strange fabulous world. Many of them have never been seen outside specialist circles. The book offers a rich overview of the different aspects of this iconographic heritage, which seems so alien to us, who are instead overwhelmed with TV-footage of living animals in their natural habitat. Beware though: the book carries a hefty price of €405 and weighs 6 kg.
Christian Heck, who is former chief curator of the Museum Unterlinden in Colmar, and now a senior member of Institut Universitaire de France, gives the opening lecture and talks about hierarchies and transgressions in this weird beastly world.
Human/Animal. 9th Annual Symposium of the International Medieval Society
Paris France
28.06.2012-30.06.2012
Le bestiaire médiéval
Christian Heck and Rémy Cordonnier
Citadelles (Mazenod) 2011
Permanent exhibition at Bibliotheque Nationale Française
Another internet Collection is The Medieval Bestiary
