Weird Medieval Guys
How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:2nd Nov '23
Should be back in stock very soon
Explore the medieval world through its art with this hilarious guide to the medieval world that will have you laughing out loud.
A highly unusual, unreliable survival guide to a very real medieval world
Need a medieval dog name? Wondering how to improve your chances in love when you cannot joust? Concerned about dragons, aggressive rabbits or the spiritual implications of an unexpected bird at your sickbed?
Weird Medieval Guys turns manuscript art and medieval beliefs into an irreverent guide to an entire life, from birth to an inevitably unpleasant end. Quizzes, diagrams, flow charts and how-to guides lead through names, work, courtship, saints, animals, danger, death and the apocalypse.
Behind the jokes is a revealing encounter with the way medieval people organised their world. Bestiaries, saints’ lives, biblical stories and strange manuscript images become evidence for ideas about morality, identity, desire and divine order.
For history lovers, medieval-art obsessives and readers who enjoy their learning with a large dose of absurdity, this is a visual tour through a past that was often stranger, funnier and more inventive than the label ‘Dark Ages’ suggests.
‘FASCINATING’ Guardian
‘THE BEST GIFT BOOK THERE IS’ Independent
A gently fascinating insight into the marginalia of a lost era. -- Phil Harrison * The Guardian *
Olivia Swarthout prowls the web for little-seen snippets of medieval art and life to share with the world. We love this book that is a result of her work - full of illuminating advice that is sure to brighten up the darkest of times. * Blackwells *
[An] account of the most bizarre illustrations from the Middle Ages * The Art Newspaper *
Brilliantly funny… Olivia celebrates the wonderful weirdness of the past… [in this] gleeful book * Simple Things, *Christmas Gift Guide 2023* *
I have pondered meaningful poetry, those that challenge and change our view of the world. I have considered great design and art books, which offer a view of a better world. History that shows how this world came to be or fiction that conjures new ones. But I have settled on the best gift book there is: a collection of curious, stupid and perplexing little drawings from medieval manuscripts, accurately and straightforwardly titled Weird Medieval Guys. This is the rare book you can judge from its cover, and it’s exactly what it suggests. I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it ... If they enjoy one picture of an army of knights attacking a giant snail then they’ll enjoy the rest of the book; if they don’t, then you should stop being their friend and you’ve solved the problem of buying them a gift either way. -- Andrew Griffin * The Independent 'Best Books to Gift (and gift again)' *
The best gift book there is: a collection of curious, stupid and perplexing little drawings from medieval manuscripts… I genuinely struggle to think of a person who might not love it * Independent, *Christmas Gift Guide 2023* *
Richly illustrated and lightly written… Weird Medieval Guys follows the tradition established by medieval preachers and artists themselves: laughter, wonder and a little shock now and then [that] can spark fascination * Apollo *
Weird Medieval Guys is a riot ... It’s bright and colourful and would make a perfect gift for anyone with an interest in history. Full of stunning imagery, interactive maps and quizzes, and brilliant medieval facts, it is enticingly re-readable and will remain a favourite for the non-expert, while also being enjoyable to the specialist. -- Madeleine S. Killacky , PhD Candidate in Medieval Literature at Bangor University * Morning Star *
ISBN: 9781529908305
Dimensions: 197mm x 147mm x 23mm
Weight: 505g
208 pages