The Wisdom of Nature: The Healing Powers and Symbolism of Plants and Animals in the Middle Ages

by Werner Telesko

Book Overview

An exploration of the mediaeval natural world. In double-page spreads, illustrated with mediaeval manuscript pages, the volume discusses the symbolic meanings and healing powers ascribed to a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 379132585X
• ISBN13: 9783791325859
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing
• Length: 95 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 9.3" x 10.5"

Customer Reviews

Cultiver la sante

Les moines etaient jardiniers des legumes, des fleurs et des herbes. Ils etaient des guerisseurs qui ecrivaient des manuscrits medicaux dont les medecins se servaient. Par exemple, Walahfrid Strabo, l'abbe de Reichenau, ecrivait Hortulus, tres reconnu et recherche, parce qu'il connaissait les ecrits anciens de Dioscorides et Pliny pere. Car les medecins devaient guerir et convertir les malades aux vies plus chretiennes. Les guerissons se faisaient des plantes qui se ressemblaient au membre affecte, telle que du bryony contre l'hydropisie parce qu'il se ressemblait a la jambe gonflee. Le livre est tellement interessant sur un theme qui m'interesse, c'est-a-dire le jardinage et la sante au moyen age.

Passing Health

About 1,300 years ago Charlemagne said that farms under his rule needed to grow sunflowers, scilla, roses, rosemary, peppers, marsh and common mallow, lilies and irises. Author Werner Telesko gives the possible why for growing some of them, by looking at the gardens of medieval monasteries. Monks planted kitchen gardens for food, flower gardens for religious symbolism, and medicinal and herbal gardens for healing. They were skilled gardeners and healers, what with what they learned in copying the manuscripts of ancient medical writers and physicians. For example, Walahfrid Strabo, Abbot of Reichenau, wrote Hortulus, over 1,600 years ago, from the ancient herbal writings of Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder.Typically for the Middle Ages, ancient medical writings were kept alive, for a Christian purpose. Doctors were to be Christlike in their healings, by putting health back in balance and getting patients to lead Christian lives. Over 1,400 years ago, Isidor, Bishop of Seville, wrote of doing this by diet, then herbals and medicinals, and finally by surgery.Usually, plants were seen as healing the body part that it most looked like. For example, bryony was supposed to heal dropsy, because it looked like a swollen human leg. But some of the plants in these medieval manuscripts, and from ancient manuscripts, aren't so easily known to us. One such example's the herb moly, from Dioscorides and from Homer's OdysseyOthers are known or can be figured out, because of realistic illustrations. For example, over 600 years ago Jacopo Filippo, a monk from Padua, wrote an herbal by translating an Arabic manuscript by Serapion the Younger of over 500 years earlier. In fact, his melon plant's still praised today for accurate coloring, shading and veining through the different stages of development.THE WISDOM OF NATURE especially got my attention about what medieval manuscripts said on the dangers, healing qualities and symbolism of foods. In terms of plants, that brought in basil, lilies, mandrake, mint, pomegranates, pumpkins, quinces, roses, rue and violets. In terms of drinks, that just brought in spring water and a snow and ice mix. In terms of animals, that only brought in beef; lampreys; the meat of camels and hares; and spleen.It's a complicated subject. The author does a good job of writing clearly and putting in beautifully helpful illustrations. His book even gives me a better understanding of two of my favorite, quality medieval mystery series: the Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters and the Owen Archer books by Candace Robb.