Take, for instance, the Killer Bunny that showed up throughout illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages.

This is too much fun not to share: A joust between a dog and a bunny, one riding a snail (with a human head) and the dog riding a bunny who just now seems to realize what's up. I kid you not:



Perhaps you remember the Rabbit of Caerbannog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:



Turns out they weren't the first to fear killer bunnies! Run away, run away!



For more on the Killer Bunny, see The Sexy Codicology Blog.

Now let's go back another thousand years to the "Siberian Princess," whose tattoos have recently been revealed in their full glory:



Those are the reconstructions, but you can see the originals and more drawings in the full article. Wow, who knew people got such amazing skin-art 2500 years ago?

Lunch break's over - back to grading final projects!

Best,
Chris

From: [identity profile] holyoutlaw.livejournal.com


I wonder if the figure on the snail was supposed to represent someone in particular? "Friar Took works as slowly as a snail!"

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


Excellent point - though I prefer to believe that scribes of the Middle Ages were trying to perpetuate the Killer Bunny myth.

From: [identity profile] roseconnelly.livejournal.com


I thought that Monty Python did that scene based on the facade of Notre Dame (the Paris one) where a Knight is apparently running away from a rabbit.

I really didn't know, though, that rabbits were that fierce every where during that time. I will look at the ones in my yard differently now.


From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


That's fantastic!

Now I'm beginning to understand why the little bunny who comes up to the back porch and chows down with the squirrels and birds is unafraid of us humans. Because bunnies are NIGHTMARE BEASTS.

From: [identity profile] sherwood21.livejournal.com


Bunnies ARE nightmare beasts. Terrifying little bastards. Thank you - this post makes me feel very vindicated in my leporidae-phobia

From: [identity profile] queenmomcat.livejournal.com


Wouldn't surprise me if that sort of picture is where Monty Python got their ideas for such things....or that one of the members had studied a discipline that included access to such images.

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


I wouldn't be surprised at all - especially since they clearly did a lot of research in the era.

From: [identity profile] paulwoodlin.livejournal.com


And here I thought Monty Python was just making stuff up...
.

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