Getty Les Visions du chevalier Tondal
Encyclopedia
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
from 1475, now at the Getty Museum, of a French version of the "Visio Tnugdali
Visio Tnugdali
The Visio Tnugdali is a 12th-century religious text reporting the otherworldly vision of the Irish knight Tnugdalus...
", of which it is the only fully illuminated manuscript to survive. It has 20 miniatures by Simon Marmion
Simon Marmion
Simon Marmion was a French or Burgundian Early Netherlandish painter of panels and illuminated manuscripts...
and elaborate borders with "CM" for the initials of Margaret of York
Margaret of York
Margaret of York – also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy – was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Duchy after his death. She was a daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the sister of...
, duchess of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
and her husband Charles the Bold. The text was scribed by David Aubert
David Aubert
David Aubert was a French calligrapher, who transcribed and adapted courtly romances and chronicles for the court of the Duke of Burgundy...
in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, whilst the miniatures were done in Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, where Marmion was based. Only the pages with the 15 two column miniatures and five single column miniatures have borders, but as there are only 45 folios, the illumination is very full. The manuscript is fully available online.
The work
The Visions of the Knight Tondal or "Visio Tnugdali", was written in Latin in the 12th century by an Irish monk named MarcusMarcus
Marcus, Markus, or Márkus is a common given name and a family name. See Marcus .Marcus may also refer to:In places* Marcus, Iowa, United States* Marcus, Washington, United States...
in Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, where there was an Irish monastery. It was "the most popular and elaborate text in the medieval genre of visionary infernal literature" and had been translated forty-three times into fifteen languages by the 15th century, including Icelandic and Belorussian. It may have been part of the inspiration for Dante's journey into hell, purgatory and heaven.
In the story, Tondal is a wealthy Irish knight who passes out at a feast and goes into a deep dream-journey through Hell, Heaven and Purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
(never so named — the doctrine was still in development), guided by an angel. The experience turns Tondal into a pious man. The story is set in Cork, Ireland
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in 1148, and claims to be a translation of an original in the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, which however has not survived.
The miniatures
Titles by the Getty, 19/20 listed,:- Tondal Suffers a Seizure at Dinner
- Tondal Appears Dead
- The Valley of Murderers
- The Mountain of Unbelievers and Heretics
- The Valley of the Perversely Proud and Presumptuous
- The Beast Acheron, Devourer of the Avaricious
- The Nail-Studded Bridge for Thieves and Robbers
- The House of Phristinus; Punishment for Gluttons and Fornicators
- The Beast that Eats Unchaste Priests and Nuns
- The Forge of Vulcan; Punishment for Those who Commit Evil upon Evil
- Demons Dragging Tondal into the Infernal Cistern
- The Gates of Hell and Lucifer
- The Wall of Heaven Where the Bad but Not Very Bad Are in Temporary Discomfort
- The Good but Not Very Good Are Nourished by a Fountain
- Two Kings of Ireland, Former Enemies, Who Made Peace before Death
- The Happy Crowds of the Faithfully Married
- The Martyrs and the Pure Sing Praises to God
- The Glory of Good Monks and Nuns
- The Wall of Metals and Jewels surrounding Angels and Saints
Further reading
- Kren, Thomas, ed. Margaret of York, Simon Marmion, and The Visions of Tondal. Malibu, CA, J. Paul Getty Museum, 1992.