TED-Ed: Michelle Brown: What is a butt tuba and why is it in medieval art?

The video explores the fascinating world of medieval marginalia, highlighting the bizarre and symbolic images found in the margins of illuminated manuscripts. These illustrations often carried rich secondary stories and symbolic meanings, such as animals representing religious or moral concepts. The video delves into the interpretations of these motifs, including political and personal commentaries embedded in the art. It also discusses the legacy of illuminated manuscripts, which served various purposes and provided insight into the minds of medieval artists.

What might a porcupine picking up fruit on its spines symbolize in medieval manuscripts?

• The devil stealing the fruits of faith

• A knight's bravery

• A unicorn's purity

• The inevitability of death

In the 'Smithfield Decretals', what does the image of a fox being hanged by geese likely represent?

• The triumph of good over evil

• Common people rebelling against their oppressors

• The capture of a unicorn

• A knight's defeat by a snail

What personal scandal is depicted in the 'Luttrell Psalter'?

• A fox being hanged by geese

• A knight losing to a snail

• A cleric running away with Sir Geoffrey's daughter

• A prince falling from a tower

What enabled Christine de Pisan to establish her own publishing house in Paris?

• Royal patronage from the Queen of France

• Her skills as a painter

• Her marriage to a nobleman

• Her family's wealth

What is one of the uses of illuminated manuscripts mentioned in the video?

• As a tool for political campaigns

• As a guide for architectural designs

• As protective talismans in battle

• As a means to record scientific discoveries