Monday, October 09, 2006
Macclesfield Psalter images
There are here a number of images of the Macclesfield Psalter, acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge last year. It is C14 and made in East Anglia, the general region in which Cambridge finds itself. The illustrations on the manuscript are often quite bold, and not always greatly edifying (e.g. the picture of a man urinating). Perhaps the manuscript can at least remind us of the full variety of entities that fall under the heading of 'biblical manuscript'.
What is wrong with a man urinating? Perfectly edifying. Prompts grateful reflection on the way God created and formed our bodies, and the mechanisms of our precious bodily fluids. [cf. Mark 7.18f for a 'parallel']
ReplyDeleteI just feel bad for the person who is trying (sucessfully) to catch the urine. He seems to have a good attitude about it and is even offering encouragement! This made me wonder what was going on in the text.
ReplyDeleteIs this a prayer for a dead person? I found a bit from Ps. 119:5 on the other side of the leaf.
Thanks for this. The color and beauty of these images and the text make for a refreshing change and remind us of the human qualities of this discipline.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the significance of the urinating scene is, but I do know that under extreme conditions humans have utilized (drunk) there own body fluids to prevent dehydration.