"Afterward, the locust with its execrable teeth"

June 3, 2008 5:00 AM

The Speculum theologiae is a beautiful medieval manuscript. Its diagrams demonstrate visually various aspects of the medieval worldview. The diagrams are explained and translated and most of them are expounded upon in a short essay. My favorite diagrams are The Cherub with Six Wings, The 10 Commandments, Plagues of Egypt and Abuses of the Impious and The Tree of Virtue and The Tree of Vices.
posted by Kattullus (14 comments total)

Fascinating - thanks.
posted by Phanx at 5:13 AM on June 3

This is just gorgeous, great treatment of the subject. Thanks for posting
posted by freya_lamb at 5:24 AM on June 3

Is this the same device the Pope's proctologist uses?
posted by Pollomacho at 5:25 AM on June 3 [2 favorites]

Pollomacho, please don't engage in idle speculumation.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:39 AM on June 3 [3 favorites]

Plagues of Egypt and Abuses of the Impious
I saw them on their first UK tour together at the Limelight.
Thanks, Katullus
posted by Abiezer at 5:41 AM on June 3 [1 favorite]

idle idol speculumation?
posted by Pollomacho at 6:27 AM on June 3

Damn, we were talking about the Pope, right? Of COURSE I meant to spell it "idol".

I hate misspellings!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:44 AM on June 3

The Ten Commandments looks like a bad powerpoint diagram.
posted by doctor_negative at 8:47 AM on June 3

This is really cool. Thank you.
posted by Bageena at 9:12 AM on June 3

Kabbalah-like.
posted by jamjam at 9:13 AM on June 3

Those little essays are concise and informative. Great post!
posted by languagehat at 9:23 AM on June 3

I was so fascinated I did a Google image search for speculum with safe search off. What a versatile word.
posted by rhymer at 9:51 AM on June 3

I seem to have lost it now, but one of my favourite books was a small hardback copy of a medieval (?) latin textbook for schoolboys that I found once, which gave me a similar impression - ie "diagrams demonstrate visually various aspects of the medieval worldview".

It started off by naming the usual subjects for childrens' books - various kinds of animals & vehicles & professions - but ended up with cute little woodcuts of more complex matters, like vices, passions and a cosmology.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:58 PM on June 3

Awesome! Thank you.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 5:43 PM on June 3