Tormented souls costumes4/19/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: this group costume necessitates some horses (or horse substitutes), and a level of agreement about who will be assigned which persona. 4, part 2, Netherlands (Bruges), between c. 206rĭetail of the Dance of the Wodewoses, from Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, Vol. Wodewoses: you will need a number of hairy suits, some false beards, clubs, and a predilection to dance, but you are guaranteed to be the life of any party (warning: some other guests may attempt to set you on fire, so be wary).ĭetail of a miniature of burning costumes of the 'hommes sauvages' during a masked dance in Paris, at the beginning of chapter 32, from Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, Vol. If you are lucky enough to be possessed of a number of fellow Halloween revelers, we have several suggestions for group costumes: Those seeking a slightly less revealing get-up may consider the damned soul being attacked by a serpent on the right, or perhaps, if you have a companion for the Halloween festivities, you might like to dress up as Dante and Virgil and wander around providing a moral commentary on all you observe.ĭetail of a miniature of Dante and Virgil witnessing Vanno Fucci, the pillager of a church in Pistoia, being attacked by the monster Cacus, who is half-centaur and half-dragon, and Dante and Virgil speaking to three other souls, tormented by snakes and lizards, in illustration of Canto XXV, from a copy of Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia, Italy (Tuscany, possibly Siena), between 1444 and c. This costume is a particularly easy one as it requires, well, nothing at all (except an angry monster and a willingness to abandon modesty). For his sins Vanno was condemned to an eternity of torment by the monster Cacus, who will attack him until the day of judgement. He stole treasure from the church of St James in the town of Pistoia, and accused an innocent man of the crime, who was then executed unjustly. ![]() Vanno Fucci: This unlovely character is featured in Cantos 24 and 25 of Dante’s Inferno. 53rĭetail of an historiated initial 'D'(ilexi) with a woman (Duchess Dionora?) with a skull for a face admiring herself in a hand mirror, and a partial scatter border with gems and flowers including the motto ‘Memento homo’, at the beginning of the Office of the Dead, from the Hours of Dionora of Urbino, Italy (Florence or Mantua), c. ![]() 241rĪ memento mori: Nothing could be easier! Just wear a skeleton costume and carry around a banner reading 'Memento homo quod cinis es et in cinerem reverteris' (Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you will return) and you will provide an instant moral exemplar for everyone you meet.ĭetail of a full-page miniature of a Memento Mori with a banner reading 'Memento homo quod sinis es et in sinere reverteris', from The Hours of René d’Anjou, France (Paris), c. 150vĭetail of a miniature of the Fool, with a bauble, loaf and a dog, from Guyart de Moulins’ Bible historiale, France (Paris), 1356-1357, Royal MS 17 E VII, vol. Have no fear! The Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts section would like to offer the following last-minute costume ideas:Ī medieval fool: some rags, a stick, a round loaf of bread, and a vacant expression are all that you will need for this particular get-up see below.ĭetail of an historiated initial ‘D’(ixit) of King David and the fool, from the Queen Mary Psalter, England, 1310-1320, Royal MS 2 B VII, f. If Halloween has once again caught you unprepared, you may, like many of us, be desperately casting your mind about for a suitable get-up for this evening’s revelries. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |