[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.36,0:00:08.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A rabbit attempts to play a church organ,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.81,0:00:11.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while a knight fights a giant snail
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.44,0:00:15.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a naked man blows a trumpet \Nwith his rear end.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.37,0:00:18.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Painted with squirrel-hair brushes \Non vellum or parchment
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.100,0:00:22.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by monks, nuns, and urban craftspeople,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.13,0:00:26.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these bizarre images populate the \Nmargins of the most prized books
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.57,0:00:28.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the Middle Ages.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.60,0:00:34.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their illustrations often tell a second \Nstory as rich as the text itself.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.54,0:00:38.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some images appear in many \Ndifferent illuminated manuscripts,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.24,0:00:42.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and often reinforce the religious \Ncontent of the books they decorated.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.45,0:00:46.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, a porcupine picking \Nup fruit on its spines
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.50,0:00:50.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could represent the devil stealing \Nthe fruits of faith--
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.03,0:00:53.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or Christ taking up the sins of mankind.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.68,0:00:57.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Medieval lore stated that a hunter \Ncould only capture a unicorn
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.87,0:01:00.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when it lay its horn in \Nthe lap of a virgin,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.87,0:01:04.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so a unicorn could symbolize \Neither sexual temptation
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.54,0:01:07.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or Christ being captured by his enemies.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.52,0:01:11.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Rabbits, meanwhile, could represent \Nhuman’s lustful natures—
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.73,0:01:15.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and could redeem themselves through \Nattempts to make sacred music
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.33,0:01:17.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,despite their failings.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.59,0:01:21.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,All of these references would have \Nbeen familiar to medieval Europeans
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.39,0:01:24.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from other art forms and oral tradition,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.06,0:01:27.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,though some have grown more \Nmysterious over the centuries.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.81,0:01:28.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.63,0:01:34.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no one can say for sure what the common \Nmotif of a knight fighting a snail means—
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.31,0:01:38.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or why the knight so often \Nappears to be losing.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.02,0:01:41.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The snail might be a symbol of the \Ninevitability of death,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.45,0:01:44.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which defeats even the strongest knights.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.17,0:01:50.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or it could represent humility, and a \Nknight’s need to vanquish his own pride.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.34,0:01:54.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many illuminated manuscripts were \Ncopies of religious or classical texts,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.71,0:02:00.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the bookmakers incorporated their \Nown ideas and opinions in illustrations.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.15,0:02:02.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The butt tuba, for example,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.30,0:02:05.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was likely shorthand to \Nexpress disapproval with--
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.37,0:02:10.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or add an ironic spin to--\Nthe action in the text.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.09,0:02:14.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Illuminations could also be used to \Nmake subversive political commentary.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.04,0:02:16.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The text of the "Smithfield Decretals"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.44,0:02:20.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,details the Church’s laws and \Npunishments for lawbreakers.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.32,0:02:23.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the margins show a fox being \Nhanged by geese,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.55,0:02:28.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a possible allusion to the common people \Nturning on their powerful oppressors.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.81,0:02:30.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the "Chronica Majora,"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.93,0:02:34.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Matthew Paris summarized a \Nscandal of his day,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.21,0:02:36.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which the Welsh prince Griffin
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.45,0:02:39.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,plummeted to his death \Nfrom the tower of London.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.83,0:02:42.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some believed the prince fell, \NParis wrote,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.62,0:02:45.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while others thought he was pushed.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.03,0:02:47.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He added his own take in the margins,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.23,0:02:49.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which show the prince falling to his death
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.52,0:02:53.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while trying to escape on a rope \Nmade of bed-sheets.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.30,0:02:57.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some margins told stories of \Na more personal nature.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.01,0:02:58.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"The Luttrell Psalter,"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.50,0:03:02.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a book of psalms and prayers commissioned \Nby Sir Geoffrey Luttrell,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.55,0:03:04.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shows a young woman having her hair done,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.92,0:03:07.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while a young man catches a bird in a net.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.92,0:03:10.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The shaved patch on his \Nhead is growing out,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.84,0:03:15.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,indicating that he is a clergyman \Nneglecting his duties.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.08,0:03:17.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This alludes to a family scandal
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.03,0:03:21.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where a young cleric ran away with Sir \NGeoffrey’s daughter Elizabeth.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.35,0:03:25.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The family’s personal spiritual advisor \Nlikely painted it into the book
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.88,0:03:28.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to remind his clients of their failings
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.35,0:03:31.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and encourage their spiritual development.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:31.60,0:03:35.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some artists even painted themselves \Ninto the manuscripts.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.30,0:03:39.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The opening image of Christine de \NPisan’s collected works
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.42,0:03:43.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shows de Pisan presenting \Nthe book to the Queen of France.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.44,0:03:46.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The queen was so impressed by de Pisan's \Nprevious work
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.81,0:03:49.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that she commissioned her own copy.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:49.19,0:03:50.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Such royal patronage
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.71,0:03:55.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,enabled her to establish her own \Npublishing house in Paris.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:55.05,0:04:00.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The tradition of illuminated manuscripts \Nlasted for over a thousand years.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.01,0:04:05.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The books were created by individuals or \Nteams for uses as wide-ranging
Dialogue: 0,0:04:05.39,0:04:10.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as private prayer aids, service books \Nin churches, textbooks,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:10.18,0:04:13.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and protective talismans to \Ntake into battle.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.89,0:04:15.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Across all this variation,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.88,0:04:18.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those tricky little drawings \Nin the margins
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.11,0:04:22.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are a unique window into the \Nminds of medieval artists.