Reading the secret code of medieval images - the iconography of the apostles
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the symbolic language of medieval Christian iconography, focusing on the portrayal of the 12 apostles in art. It explains how each apostle is identified through unique attributes related to their life stories, using the well-preserved painted reed screen at Beeston Regis as an example. The script also touches on the Apostles' Creed and its representation in art, linking the apostles to Old Testament prophets in a typological scheme. The speaker teases an upcoming course on iconography and invites viewers to explore medieval stained glass in more depth.
Takeaways
- 🎨 Christian iconography has a symbolic visual language that can be learned and read, allowing identification of saints without name labels.
- ⛪ In the late Middle Ages, low literacy levels meant that this symbolic language was inherently understood by worshippers.
- 📚 The speaker offers an introductory course on iconography on Teachable, with a deeper dive into the subject available in July.
- 🔑 Saint Peter is often depicted with oversized church keys, symbolizing the keys to the kingdom of heaven given by Jesus.
- ✝️ Saint Andrew is shown with an X-shaped cross, reflecting the tradition that he chose this form of crucifixion as he felt unworthy to be crucified like Christ.
- 🍷 Saint John is depicted with a chalice and a viper, symbolizing the oral tradition of him surviving a poisoned cup.
- 🗡️ Saint James the Great is often shown as a pilgrim with walking boots, a walking stick, and a scallop shell, referencing his shrine at Santiago de Compostela.
- 🪚 Saint Simon is depicted holding a saw, symbolizing his martyrdom by being sawn in two, a tradition believed in medieval England.
- 📖 The twelve apostles are sometimes shown with scrolls containing the clauses of the Apostles' Creed, reflecting their roles as messengers of the faith.
- 🪞 Medieval art often placed the apostles with attributes and sometimes texts to help the congregation identify and learn about them.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the identification and portrayal of the 12 apostles in medieval art and Christian iconography.
How does the speaker plan to demystify the identification of saints in medieval art?
-The speaker plans to demystify the identification of saints in medieval art by introducing the symbolic visual language of Christian iconography that can be learned and read.
What is the significance of the number 12 in the context of the apostles?
-The number 12 is significant as it represents the 12 apostles, who were chosen by Jesus to spread the gospel and form a new nation of Israel, which is the Church.
Why was Saint Matthias included as an apostle in some Western medieval art?
-Saint Matthias was included as an apostle in some Western medieval art because he was chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot, maintaining the number of apostles at 12.
What is the purpose of the attributes held by the apostles in art?
-The attributes held by the apostles in art are symbolic objects associated with their unique life stories, which help to identify them when their names are not present.
What is the significance of Saint Peter holding oversized church keys in art?
-Saint Peter holding oversized church keys signifies his role as the keeper of the keys to the kingdom of heaven, as given to him by Jesus in Matthew's Gospel.
Why is Saint Andrew often depicted with an X-shaped cross?
-Saint Andrew is often depicted with an X-shaped cross because he was crucified on such a cross, choosing it as he considered himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ.
What is the significance of Saint John's attribute of a chalice with a viper or demon coming out of it?
-The chalice with a viper or demon signifies an event where Saint John drank poison that turned into a serpent or viper, demonstrating the power of his faith and the truth of the gospel.
Why is Saint James the Great often depicted as a pilgrim in Northern European art?
-Saint James the Great is depicted as a pilgrim in Northern European art to represent his journey to his own shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a popular pilgrimage destination.
What is the role of the Apostles' Creed in medieval iconography?
-In medieval iconography, the Apostles' Creed is sometimes depicted with the apostles holding scrolls with the clauses of the creed, symbolizing their role in teaching the congregation the words of the creed.
Outlines
📖 Introduction to Christian Iconography
The speaker explains how they can identify saints in medieval church images without names being present. This skill is based on a symbolic visual language inherent to Christian iconography. The video aims to demystify this language and promote a deeper dive through an introductory course available on their Teachable site. Additionally, there is a current three-part course on Christian iconography focusing on the cross of Christ in art.
🧑🎨 Understanding the 12 Apostles
The video focuses on how the 12 apostles are depicted in medieval English art. It explains that 'apostle' means 'messenger' and that the apostles were tasked with spreading the gospel, thus transitioning from disciples to apostles. The symbolic importance of the number 12 is also discussed, relating to the 12 tribes of Israel and the formation of the church.
🔑 Saint Peter and His Keys
Saint Peter, the chief of the apostles, is typically depicted with gray hair, a beard, and holding church keys symbolizing the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, meaning 'the rock,' and gave him these keys, signifying the power to forgive sins. The significance of the 'X-shaped' cross associated with Saint Andrew, Peter's brother, is also explained.
🍷 Saint John and the Poisoned Chalice
Saint John, the youngest apostle and often clean-shaven, is depicted with a chalice with a viper or demon emerging from it. This imagery relates to a tradition where John drinks a poisoned cup to prove the truth of the gospel and survives, demonstrating his divine protection. Saint James the Great, John's brother, is shown as a pilgrim, often with a scallop shell symbolizing the Way of Saint James pilgrimage.
🪚 Saint Simon and His Saw
Saint Simon, known as Simon the Zealot, is depicted with a saw, referencing his martyrdom by being sawn in half. The speaker debunks the myth that Simon came to England, emphasizing his death in Asia Minor. Saint Matthew, associated with missionary work in Ethiopia and martyrdom by sword, is often shown with this attribute or reading his gospel.
🏺 Saint James the Less and the Fuller’s Club
Saint James the Less, often confused with James the Just, is depicted with a fuller’s club due to the latter's martyrdom. Saint Jude, also known as Thaddeus, is often shown with a boat, reflecting his missionary journeys. Saint Bartholomew is depicted with a flaying knife, referencing the tradition of his martyrdom by being flayed alive.
🔪 Matthias, Philip, and Thomas
Saint Matthias, chosen to replace Judas Iscariot, is depicted with an axe, signifying his martyrdom by beheading. Saint Philip, associated with the feeding of the 5000, is often shown with bread or penny loaves. Saint Thomas, known for doubting the resurrection, is depicted with a spear, referencing his martyrdom in India.
📜 The Apostles’ Creed and Iconography
The Apostles' Creed, used in the Western Church during baptisms, influenced medieval iconography. The 12 apostles were often depicted with scrolls containing clauses of the Creed. The Creed, with its 12 sections, was rumored to be composed by the apostles, adding to its significance. This practice linked the apostles’ images to their teachings.
🌟 Apostles and Prophets in Art
In medieval art, apostles were often paired with Old Testament prophets to link the New and Old Testaments. This typological scheme depicted prophets as prefigurations of apostles. The prophets were shown with scrolls containing their prophecies related to the Apostles' Creed. This arrangement highlighted the continuity of Christian teachings from the Old to the New Testament.
🎥 Upcoming Courses and Support
The speaker invites viewers to subscribe and explore further courses on their Teachable site, including an upcoming detailed course on Christian iconography and a new series on medieval stained glass. They thank supporters and encourage donations through Buy Me a Coffee and PayPal to enhance their content production.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Iconography
💡Apostles
💡Attributes
💡Medieval Art
💡Christian Creeds
💡Martyrdom
💡Pilgrimage
💡Typological Scheme
💡Stained Glass
💡Teachable Site
💡Crucifixion
Highlights
The speaker explains how to identify medieval saints in art without their names being present, through the use of Christian iconography.
Introduction to an introductory course on iconography to be available in July on the speaker's Teachable site.
Existence of a three-part course on the cross of Christ in art, focusing on the changing portrayal of crucifixion.
Explanation of the symbolic meaning behind the portrayal of the 12 apostles in medieval art.
The significance of the number 12 apostles, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel and forming a new nation, the Church.
The election of Matthias as the 12th apostle after Judas Iscariot's betrayal and suicide.
Occasional replacement of Matthias with Saint Paul in Western medieval art due to his significant role in spreading the gospel.
Use of attributes or symbolic objects to identify each apostle in art, such as Peter's church keys.
The tradition behind Saint Andrew's portrayal with an X-shaped cross and its connection to the flag of Scotland.
The story of Saint John drinking poison and surviving, depicted with a chalice and a fleeing serpent.
Saint James the Great's depiction as a pilgrim, associated with the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
The portrayal of the apostles holding objects related to their martyrdom or life stories for identification.
Debunking the myth of Simon the Zealot's mission and martyrdom in England, based on unreliable sources.
The Apostles' Creed's origin and its division into 12 clauses, each potentially represented by an apostle in art.
The typological scheme in art, linking the apostles with Old Testament prophets as prefigurements.
The use of stained glass windows to visually teach the congregation the Apostles' Creed and typological connections.
Upcoming eight-part course on the study of medieval stained glass, covering its creation, evolution, and significance.
Invitation for viewers to support the channel for better quality content and equipment through donations.
Transcripts
[Music]
someone last week asked me after
watching some of my change tour videos
how i'm able to go into a church take
one look at a medieval image of a saint
and know who that saint is
even when the saints name is not present
and whether i begin to talk through how
i do that with you all
well like many aspects of medieval art
and architecture christian iconography
has a symbolic visual language that can
be learnt and then then can be read
the late middle ages when literacy
levels were low it was a language that
was inherently understood by those who
used and worshipped in our churches
so in this video i'm going to introduce
to you some of that language and try to
demystify it
i'm going to be offering an introductory
course on iconography on my teachable
site which will be a bit of a deeper
dive into just this very subject i hope
this video will whet your appetite for
the course which should be available in
july
incidentally if you go to my teachable
page now i currently have a three-part
course on christian iconography already
available it is on the cross of christ
in art from the early years of
christianity right through to the
reformation and it focuses on how the
changing social status of the church and
the development of belief affected how
the crucifixion was portrayed in art
those who have taken the course so far
have really enjoyed it and if you're
interested there's a link in the
description below which will take you to
it
so until the matter at hand and in
today's video i'm going to focus on one
aspect of medieval iconography how the
12 apostles are portrayed in art in
medieval england
firstly i suppose we should begin by
clearing up who precisely the apostles
are
eleven of them are the same people that
jesus chose to be among his twelve
disciples his closest followers
the word apostle means a person who is
sent out a messenger
and when jesus gave his twelve disciples
the role of spreading the gospel
they then stopped being his disciples
only
and became his apostles
jesus chose 12 close companions as his
disciples and then as apostles for
symbolic reasons
there are 12 tribes of israel and the
job of the 12 apostles was to form a new
nation of israel that was drawn not only
from the jewish people but from everyone
on earth the gentiles and that new
nation was to be called the church
the apostles were to be the head of the
church and jesus said to them in
matthew's gospel that at the end of all
things when he comes again
they would also sit on twelve thrones to
judge the twelve tribes of israel
of course after the crucifixion of
christ the number of the disciples was
reduced to eleven due to the suicide of
judas iscariot to the betrayer
12 was still required
and we read in the acts of the apostles
in the new testament that the remaining
11 elected a replacement for judas by
lot
sent to matthias
and he became the 12th apostle
sometimes in western medieval art poor
old saint matthias is missed out
and is replaced instead with saint paul
paul wasn't one of the original 12
disciples he had been saul a persecutor
of the church but he was converted by
jesus on the road to damascus and given
a particular mission to spread the
gospel to the gentiles those outside the
jewish faith so he became an apostle too
so how do you tell which apostle is
which in art when they are not labeled
well i'm going to take as an example the
figure of the apostles on the beautiful
early 16th century painted reed screen
at beeston regis on the north coast of
norfolk
the figures are in extremely good
condition and have not been damaged by
iconoclasts
the figures of the apostles are arranged
in pairs
six on one side of the screen and six on
the other
and you will notice that each of the
figures is holding an object in their
hands
these are their attributes objects
associated with their own unique life
story
that helped medieval people identify
them on how you and i can identify them
today
now a beast and the figures are arranged
with the four apostles that were
considered the most important
surrounding the door
so we'll look at those first
the first figure some peter the chief of
the apostles is shown on the right hand
side of the door the most important spot
he is usually shown as the eldest of the
apostles with gray hair and a grey beard
he holds in his hand a set of oversized
church keys
these are of course the keys to the
kingdom of heaven
in matthew's gospel jesus renames simon
as he was previously called peter which
means the rock and tells him that he'll
be the lock on which the church is built
and he gives him the keys to the kingdom
of heaven that he would have the power
to grant forgiveness to penitence or to
withhold it from those who are not
sin andrew the mother of peter is in the
next most important spot to the left of
the door
he holds a soul tire or an x-shaped
cross
sanandri was crucified
in patches in the year ad60 and a
tradition arose in the later middle ages
that he had chosen to be crucified on an
x-shaped cross as he considered himself
unworthy to be crucified precisely like
christ was
a similar story is attached to the
martyrdom of saint peter who is said to
have been crucified
uh with his head down
the reason that the flag of scotland is
a saltier is due to that tradition of
andrews crucifixion on such a cross and
when andrew became the patron saint of
scotland that symbol was adopted
then we have two more saints who are
brothers
next to saint peter is saint john the
beloved disciple
he is usually shown as the youngest of
the twelve and is often clean shaven
while the rest have a good bid growth
he was the only one of the twelve who
didn't suffer martyrdom having been
given the role by christ of looking
after his mother mary
dying at a ripe old age he spends time
in ephesus
and was for many years exiled on the
island of patmos
his attribute is a chalice with a viper
or a demon coming out of it
and this is a reference to an event that
began as an oral tradition
and was then recorded in the second
century in a text called the acts of
john
a text that was well known in medieval
england
the tradition relates this that while in
ephesus john finds himself in a dialogue
with a pagan priest called aristodemus
who is hostile to christianity
and john asks him in conversation what
would convince him of the truth of the
gospel
and aristodemus says that he would
believe in christ
if john were to drink a cup of poison
and still live
handed the poison john prays
he makes the sign of the cross over it
with his hand
he asks god to make the poison flee as a
serpent flees before him
and then crossing himself
he then drinks the poison
and john does survive
but sadly that's doesn't convince saris
to demis
the crowd witnessing this are convinced
when they order aristodemus to keep his
dice to himself threatening to burn his
house down if he doesn't
so what we see as the attribute of saint
john
is uh john exercising the poisoned cup
with the sign of the cross with his hand
and the poison
as a serpent or viper
fleeing
saint james the great is nexus and
andrew he is the brother of saint john
and he and his brother are referred to
in the gospels by jesus as the sons of
thunder as either they were a bit
impetuous or their father zebedee had a
bit of a reputation
james in northern european art is really
rather curiously depicted as a pilgrim
to his own shrine at santiago de
compostela in spain
now lots and lots of pilgrims from
medieval england and northern europe
took what they called the way of saint
james
what is nowadays called the camino
and visited james's shrine in spain and
lots of churches along the route in
england are dedicated to him
saint james is shown here wearing
pilgrims garb now the rest of the
apostles are all shown barefoot
but saint james is wearing a stout pair
of walking boots he's holding his
walking stick
and attached to it is what in middle
english is referred to as a script a
little bag that contains all the things
you might need on loot to deal with the
blisters on your feet
on his head is a hat to shade his eyes
and attached to that is a scallop shell
which was the badge that pilgrims to his
shrine pinned to their clothing to prove
that they'd been they picked them up on
the beach
now for the rest of the apostles they're
not placed in any particular order at
beaston and we're going to work from the
north
across the screen to the south left to
right
as we look at them
the far left panel depicts since simon
who is known in the gospels as simon the
canaanite or simon the zealot
many countries claim him as a missionary
including georgia
the mainstream christian tradition is
that since simon was martyred in asia
minor and that he died by being sawn in
two down his middle
and in medieval england he is usually
shown iconographically holding the saw
of his martyrdom
just to cause confusion elsewhere such
as ran with he is sometimes shown
holding a gigantic fish
which is odd as he is not known to have
been a fisherman perhaps this is a
confusion with simon peter
okay so here's just a quick aside just
to clear one of my particular bug bears
at the moment um i have heard it said
that since simon the zealot came to
england and may even have been martyred
and died here
it's not part of the mainstream
christian tradition that he ever set
font in england
the idea that he did comes from a quite
extraordinary book published in 1961
called the drama of the lost disciples
this book was written by not a
professional historian not by a biblical
scholar but a professional wrestler they
call a canadian professional wrestler
called joette
and he claims he's really quite
extraordinary um not only that simon the
zealot came to england but that he came
to lincolnshire where i live and that he
was martyred
at cayster which is about 20 miles from
where i'm currently sat
it is absolute
boulderdash
he bases this assertion on two little
scraps of pseudopigrapher
both of which have been discounted as as
reliable documentary sources and his own
imagination so if you hear it said that
since simon the zella came to england
and came to lincolnshire uh please
discount that the tradition is that he
died in asia minor and that he was sewn
in half and that's certainly what people
in medieval england believe which is why
since simon is usually portrayed holding
a saw
so that's a little aside dealt with that
little rabbit hole um so next to simon
on the screen is matthew um who was
perhaps the author of the gospel of that
name
by tradition he undertook missionary
work in ethiopia and he was martyred
with the sword
the sword is usually his attribute as it
is here at eastern regions
elsewhere he is shown as the author of
his gospel
for example on the rude screen at
corston in norfolk he is shown reading
his gospel wearing a rather fetching
pair of spectacles though some horrible
iconoclastic protestant has poked his
eyes out
the next apostle is one that medieval
people call sin james the less to simply
differentiate him from james the great
the brother of john
in scripture he is known as james the
son of alpheus and brother of joseph
and by early tradition he was the son of
mary cleophas one of the women who stood
at the foot of the cross who was a
kinswoman and in some traditions the
sister of the virgin mary
said james gets confused with another
james who was not one of the twelfths
and james the just the brother or
kinsman of christ who in the acts of the
apostles was the first bishop of
jerusalem
that confusion gets transmitted into
western medieval iconography
sin james the just according to some
clement of alexandria writing in the
second century was thrown from the top
of the temple in jerusalem
and then was beaten to death with a club
the sort of club that fullers
or felt makers used to beat wool into
felt
due to the confusion of these two people
saint james the less the apostle
ends up being shown in western art
holding a fuller's club
as he is here at beast and regis
next along we have saint jude who is
also known in the gospels as thaddeus or
judas thaddeus said that he is not
confused with judas iscariot in most
traditions he is said to have been
martyred alongside since simon in asia
minor
in late medieval english iconography he
is invariably shown holding a boat
we're not quite sure why
this may refer to his many journeys as
an apostle
in many cases since simon anson jude are
paired together because they work
together
but not strangely here in beeston
so bartholomew who is next is sometimes
identified with nathaniel the friend of
saint philip who in saint john's gospel
is initially skeptical that jesus is the
christ but comes to think of him as such
by tradition bartholomew had an
apostolic ministry in india and perhaps
in armenia too
there are a number of different
traditions about his martyrdom one that
he was kidnapped beaten and drowned in
the sea
another but like saint peter he was
crucified upside down
the one that caught the popular
imagination in the grisly middle ages
is that he was flayed alive that his
skin was cut off and then he was
beheaded somewhere in asia minor
so he is usually shown in english
medieval art
as here
holding a butcher's flaying knife the
type of knife a butcher would use to
skin an animal
and sometimes that is not common in this
country he can be shown holding his own
skin
next to him is matthias the apostle
chosen by lot to replace judas iscariot
by tradition he went to cappadocia an
asia minor to preach
and some traditions state that he was
crucified there
in most traditions he is said to have
met his end in jerusalem being stoned to
death and then beheaded
which is why he is shown holding an axe
or a halberd
then we have some philip
in the gospel of john before the feeding
of the 5000 jesus asks philip where
bread could be found to feed so many
people and philip answers by saying that
two hundred denarii would be
insufficient to feed them
because of this episode in the gospels
sin philip is often shown either with a
basket full of bread
or holding a pile of penny loaves as he
is here at beast and regis
and lastly at beast and regions we have
some thomas called the twin
and forever known as doubting thomas so
after seeing the lord resurrected he was
full of faith
it is said that he undertook missionary
work in india being martyred there with
the spear
and he carries the attribute of his
martyrdom
so if you're in the know you can read
these images like a book they each
express the essence of the story of the
individual apostle depicted the expanded
traditions associated with each apostle
were circulating at the time that this
screen was painted in the early 16th
century they were known orally they were
known through mystery plays and for
those who could read through texts such
as yakabist of our giants golden legend
which was translated into english and
was flying off the printing press of
william caxton and his printmaster
winking the word at the end of the 15th
and the beginning of the 16th century
in the western church as an alternative
to the nicene creed the symbol of faith
a creed called the apostles creed
was frequently used in the middle ages
and it had an iconographical impact
this creed the apostles creed has been
to have come into use in the middle of
the fourth century in gaul well over a
hundred years after the nicene creed had
come into use and it began life as a
series of twelve interrogatory questions
and responses used at baptisms
and it continues to be the creed used by
the western church at baptisms until
this day
it is also used in the traditional roman
rite of the catholic church during
matins in the morning and compline in
the evening and as an anglican priest i
used it every day it is one of the
things the anglican reformers of the
16th century included in the book of
common prayer
for matins and even song
it never really had an impact on the
eastern church who continued to use the
nicene creed or to give it its proper
title the niceno constantinopolitan
creed at all services including holy
baptism
by the end of the fourth century the
rumor was already circulating in the
west of this creed with its neat
division of 12 clauses it was earlier
than the nicene creed and was composed
by the apostles
that is of course not true but it was a
good way of justifying the use of a text
that was novel but was already in use in
part of the church
i know you may be wondering how this
relates to iconography well in the
medieval west it was not uncommon for a
set of images of the twelve apostles to
be holding not only their attributes but
scrolls with the clauses of the apostles
creed assigned to them
now i'm going to illustrate this by
showing you a set of stained glass
windows of this subject matter from the
early 16th century they're from fairford
in gloucestershire and are some of the
most beautiful
pieces of late medieval art
now in this window and elsewhere the
apostles are given a sort of pecking
order so the first four clauses of the
creed are assigned to the big four
apostles saint peters and andrews and
james the great anson john
then the apostles follow in this order
saint thomas
james the less
philip
bartholomew matthew
simon jude
and lastly as he was of course late to
the party
matthias
the text of the latin creed is placed
over the apostles head and in the case
of fairford it's actually written on
scrolls which are the medieval
equivalent of speech bubbles so we're
seeing the apostles teaching the
congregation
the words of the creed themselves
sometimes things are developed much
further and 12 of the old testament
prophets are included in a schema
to link the old testament of the new
at fairford 12 prophets are placed in
windows directly opposite the 12
apostles in the church building
often you will hear it said that the
prophets were types of the apostles and
that linking together images the
apostles with prophets
is termed a typological scheme
what does this mean
well the word type from the latin tipos
means a stamp
or impression a mold or a model
the prophets
in medieval theological thought
were the stamp or impression the mould
or model of the apostles they were the
prefigurements of the apostles just as
the coming of christ was the fulfillment
of the prophecies of the old testament
so the apostles christ's close
companions and also his messengers were
the recreation of the prophets of old
who were also messengers and apostles if
you like
there was of course no common text that
united the prophets so generally
speaking the prophets were portrayed
holding
scrolls or with scrolls or texts but
with quotations from their own
prophecies that related to the clauses
of the creed and that is certainly the
case at furford
the order the prophets were placed in
isn't hierarchical in any sense but was
worked out through
that relationship of the old testament
texts to the clauses of the creed
i hope that has wetted your appetite for
this subject a little don't forget to
subscribe to the channel if you like
what you see here as i said at the
beginning i do have a longer course
coming in july all about christian
iconography that will be over on
teachable where i already have some
other content for you to enjoy if you
want to take things further
the end of this week i will also be
uploading an eight-part course
introducing the study of medieval
stained glass looking at how stained
glass is made how style and design
evolves and the purpose and significance
of stained glass windows and churches
lastly thanks to all of you for your
support and for your input please do
keep the comments coming i really enjoy
the feedback you give
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and i'm always grateful for any
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content
thanks very much for watching and bye
for now
[Music]
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