"WARNING: this thread gets very very silly."
July 19, 2019 10:44 AM   Subscribe

University of Bonn research assistant Erik Wade informs us of a hitherto little-known clade:
Thread: everyone knows that medieval art is filled with snails fighting knights, but there's actually a whole medieval snail ecology and society, from snail-birds to snail-monks. And, ofc, snail-cats.
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posted by Johnny Wallflower (14 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
And 1st-edition AD&D’s legendary Flail Snail. [real]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:47 AM on July 19, 2019 [4 favorites]


this is awesome! I love illuminated manuscripts and I love silliness.

seriously tho: its fascinating to try to get inside the mind of these medieval artists. like why the fixation on snailnimals? there is so much straight up weirdness in medieval art. I wish it were possible to have some insight into what it meant and how these images were inspired. (mushrooms??)
posted by supermedusa at 11:26 AM on July 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


If Snailfolk are not a playable race in D&D I demand they become available
posted by Pastor of Muppets at 11:36 AM on July 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


"WARNING: this thread gets very very silly snaily."

FTFY
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:41 AM on July 19, 2019 [5 favorites]


If Snailfolk are not a playable race in D&D I demand they become available

I've read Uzumaki, snailfolk are OP.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:42 AM on July 19, 2019


Or.....whatever this is?

Note the zippers along the beak and across the forehead - I think this is a snail wearing a bird costume.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:46 AM on July 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


Snail is a memento mori metaphor.
posted by effluvia at 12:04 PM on July 19, 2019 [3 favorites]


Margisnailia previously.
posted by jamjam at 12:08 PM on July 19, 2019 [6 favorites]


This made my day.
posted by desuetude at 12:11 PM on July 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


So there is a project to cross-stitch the entire Torah, and illuminate it like a medieval manuscript.

His bit is not sewn in yet, but I am so proud to say that my SO designed and stitched a little Knight fighting a Snail for the project, so that it can continue in this tradition.
posted by jb at 12:30 PM on July 19, 2019 [6 favorites]


Snails are an easy doodle. If you make half the animal a snail, then you don't have to draw legs- just a spiral.
posted by Miss Cellania at 1:19 PM on July 19, 2019 [4 favorites]


I love this. Snails are the only thing I have ever been able to reliably doodle in my life, and for many years they were a significant icon of my life.
posted by mostly vowels at 6:30 PM on July 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


I feel the connection of a strong tradition carried over the ages to the present day in Gaston the bug/dog in Ben & Hollyʻs Little Kingdom, a cartoon show which gets very very silly in the most wonderful way.
posted by Droll Lord at 1:50 AM on July 20, 2019 [1 favorite]


I really need someone to design me a snailcat tattoo.
posted by sarcasticah at 12:39 PM on July 21, 2019


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