Illuminated manuscripts are the survivors of the Middle Ages, shedding light on both the great events of the period and the everyday life of ordinary people. In this web resource you will be able to examine evidence in a number of medieval manuscripts, finding out more about the social history of the period.
An additional resource on the British Library's collection of medieval manuscripts is available on our Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts.
Written by Dr Alixe Bovey.
The lives of ploughmen, seed sowers, millers and bakers as evidenced in unique illuminations
Music, literature and illuminated manuscripts
The extraordinary developments in the arts of the Middle Ages as seen in literature, song notations, and delicate illuminations
Men with dogs’ heads, creatures with giant feet, griffins, sirens and hellish demons all recorded in medieval documents
