![]() The portrait of the Devil takes up the whole page and he stands unaccompanied. During the medieval era, art often depicted the Devil–but none did so like the Codex Gigas. Other versions of the legend say it was the Devil himself who painted the portrait. The story says the monk included the Devil’s portrait as thanks. The monk succeeded in his task by enlisting the help of the Devil, offering his soul in exchange. He has a green face, small red eyes, red horns, red claws, and two red tongues. The Devil is shown crouching, as if ready to jump out of the page. It is this infamous illustration that gives the book its nickname and its sinister reputation. But perhaps the most noteworthy detail about the Codex Gigas, and certainly the most haunting, is the full-page incarnation of Lucifer, the Fallen Angel, on page 290. The first page has two Hebrew alphabets with a few additional touches throughout: Church Slavic and Glagolitic alphabets, and Greek alphabets.Ĭlearly, it's a remarkable work. The Codex Gigas contains illuminations and calligraphy in red, blue, yellow, green, and gold. Related: A "Possessed" Nun Wrote a Cryptic Letter from the Devil in the 17th Century and It Was Just Decodedĭespite covering plenty of texts, the Codex Gigas also has many elaborate illuminations, or elaborate illustrations that enhance and accentuate the text. The Codex Gigas also incorporates the New Testament and pages of common prayers and conjurations. It then continues to the history of the Jews, recounting the Genesis creation, including illustrations of Heaven and Earth along the margins. About half of the codex focuses on the Latin Bible. ![]() The manuscript is sectioned off into different parts. However, according to popular myth, the missing pages actually contained an apocalyptic text known as “The Devil’s Prayer”, which was intentionally removed to avoid the destruction of the world. No one knows who removed the pages, or why. ![]() It seems to be an early encyclopedia-an attempt to collect all the world’s knowledge between two covers. It initially held about 320 pages, but some were removed. It also contains many other popular writings of its time, also written in Latin, including additional religious writings, reference books, and medical texts. The Codex Gigas includes the entire Latin Bible. The ink and penmanship indicate that only one person could have written out all 310 pages. Through the usage of modern forensic science, it was confirmed that a single person crafted the manuscript. Scholars say the handwriting indicates something fascinating about the Codex Gigas. The vellum leaves are so large, however, that a single calf would only provide enough skin for two pages. The Codex Gigas contains 310 leaves of vellum-believed to be made from the skins of approximately 160 donkeys, or possibly the skin of calfs. ![]() At three feet tall and 165 pounds, it is the largest illuminated manuscript known–codex gigas means ‘giant book’ in Latin. The giant book was created in a Benedictine Monastery in Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) in the early 13th Century. Did you ever wonder what the Devil really looks like? If the legend is to believed, an image in the Codex Gigas, an 800-year-old book, is a portrait painted from life–maybe even a self-portrait by Beelzebub himself.
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