Dogs in medieval manuscripts
Enter illuminated manuscripts to discover medieval kennels, hunting dogs, bestiaries and heraldic companions. Learn how text, image and social setting change what a dog represents. The journey also reaches early sixteenth-century manuscripts, while keeping artistic interpretations separate from evidence and historical practices separate from modern care.
Training mode
Dogs in medieval manuscripts
Questions covered in this exam
- Who composed the medieval Livre de chasse?
- In which language did Phébus compose the Livre de chasse?
- Does the Livre de chasse concern only the moment of pursuing game?
- The Morgan's copy was made around 1406, after Phébus's death. What does this illustrate?
- For whom was the Morgan's richly illustrated hunting manuscript made?
- A BnF illustration is captioned with the keeping of a kennel. What aspect of canine life does it document?
- What activity is named in the Livre de chasse illustration on BnF folio 53?
- Why does the BnF connect Phébus's praise of canine loyalty with feudal society?
- In Phébus's hunting world, why could a large pack carry social meaning?
- What do the servants surrounding dogs in hunting illuminations remind us?
- Should remedies described in a medieval hunting manuscript be used as current veterinary instructions?
- An illuminator paints hunters in bright red although the text advises inconspicuous colours. What does that show?
- When reading about dogs in a medieval bestiary, what kind of book are you exploring?
- Did every medieval bestiary contain the same animals in the same order?
- A familiar dog and a fantastic creature share a medieval book. What should we avoid concluding?
- Which animal did Simon de Varie choose for his heraldry, according to the Getty?
- Why might a dog accompany a coat of arms in a manuscript?
- A similar dog recurs in Simon Bening's early-sixteenth-century illuminations. Is it certainly his own pet?
- What kinds of settings contain Bening's recurring dog?
- Can one luxurious aristocratic hunting manuscript represent every medieval household's relationship with dogs?
