Hrabanus Maurus: De Universo - De Rerum Naturis
The extensive encyclopaedia "De Universo - De Rerum Naturis " was originally written by the Carolingian scholar Hrabanus Maurus (780β856) in 847. In its 22 books, Hrabanus strove for nothing less than a comprehensive "depiction of the entire reality of the visible and invisible world", which was intended to support clergymen in their activities as preachers and pastors - since "nature" is God's creation, which should be brought closer to the laity. The 11th-century copy preserved in the Montecassino archives is an abridged version of the work, which was also created in the famous monastery of Montecassino and has been kept there now for centuries. Today, this unique manuscript gives us an intriguing insight into almost every facet of people's lives during the Early and High Middle Ages. Its 335 wonderful miniatures illuminate the information described in the text in a haunting way that can make modern beholders smile from time to time.
Hrabanus Maurus: De Universo - De Rerum Naturis
The Montecassino Abbey was one of the most important and wealthy monasteries of the medieval world. The Benedictine abbey was in the possession of arguably the most comprehensive collection of handwritten texts and books. Among these literary treasures was an abridged version of the encyclopedia by Hrabanaus Maurus titled De Universo - De Rerum Naturis. This large-format codex contains 530 pages of the finest calligraphy, as was typical for the scriptoria of the Benedictines. The work is outstandingly illustrated with over 360 vivid and headily colored miniatures. Not only the artistic, but also the scientific worth of these illustrations is astounding. It is the most comprehensive and widely disseminated textbook manufactured during the entire Middle Ages.
A Noble Goal
The βteacher of Germanyβ published a comprehensive encyclopedia comprising 22 books in the year 847. Hrabanus dedicated it to the Bishop Haimo von Halberstadt. The work is supposed to have originated βwith the express aim of giving him and his pastorate in a book-poor region an aide for the fulfillment of their pastoral responsibilities, in particular with regard to evangelization.β With his encyclopedia, Hrabanus set a goal for himself to βdepict the entire reality of the visible and invisible worldβ. He dealt not only with the meaning of words and the properties of things, but furthermore, their mystic significance in the frame of the allegorical interpretation of the Bible. Thus, the work became a handbook on biblical hermeneutics. Hrabanus extracted the allegorical interpretations of authors from late antiquity like Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great and made them readily available under their respective keyword.
Experience Medieval Society
Hrabanusβ encyclopedia unites various aspects of the knowledge of the Middle Ages. It concerns the historical and biblical traditions of the church, books and culture, the world of animals and plants, the lives of people, the nature of the body and the soul, monsters and wondrous events, music, medicine, agriculture, weather phenomena, and the calculation of timeβ¦no facet of life in the Middle Ages is left out. The work represents a mirror to the social life of its time and is thereby an inestimably valuable and reliable historical source. The universal character of the text is also mirrored in its enthralling illustrations. The razor-sharp miniatures illustrate each thematic area in thrilling image scenes. The gorgeous pictures do not merely serve as ornamentation, but instead make the facts outlined in the text clearly perceptible.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- De Universo o De Rerum Naturis de Rabano Mauro
Hrabanus Maurus: De universo oder De rerum naturis
Rabinus Maurus Cassinese manuscript - Size / Format
- 530 pages / 49.0 Γ 35.0 cm
- Origin
- Italy
- Date
- 1022β1035
- Epochs
- Style
- Language
- Script
- Beneventan script
- Illustrations
- 335 miniatures and numerous decorated initials with zoomorphic, vegetal and architectural details
- Content
- Abridged version of Hrabanus Maurus' Encyclopedia
- Patron
- Abbot Theobald (1022β1035)
- Artist / School
- Hrabanus Maurus (780β856), Abbot of Fulda and Archbishop of Mainz (author)
Hrabanus Maurus: De Universo - De Rerum Naturis
Seraph
A seraph is a six-winged angel and according to Isaiah 6.1-8, the seraphim fly continuously around the Throne of God chanting βholy, holy, holyβ. As such, the seraphim occupy the highest choir of the angelic hierarchy in Christian theology. Seraph means βthe burning oneβ, meaning one who is burning with love for the Creator, and this seraph is depicted holding two swords that are wrapped in flame. The fiery nature of the seraphim was firmly entrenched in the medieval imagination and art.
Hrabanus Maurus: De Universo - De Rerum Naturis
Beasts, Monsters, and Hybrids
Here we have a page from the bestiary section of this 11th century encyclopedia, which is filled with images of various creatures, all of whom were likely believed to be real at the time. The modern observer will immediately recognize that some of these animals are real, such as lions or other large cats, even if they are not always correctly colored, like the blue elephant.
Two of the large cats are depicted with multi-colored spots, possibly an unsuccessful attempt to portray a leopard or cheetah. At the top of the page, we see a large griffin with a pink body and blue wings. A small green hybrid can be seen at the bottom of the page, it has an uncolored human face and a body resembling that of a dog or possibly a lynx.
#1 De Universo De Rerum Naturis Rabano Mauro
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