Medieval lives on medieval bridges

Posted on by The Fake History Hunter

I was just randomly looking through some medieval books, as one does, when I discovered that a bunch of these French books for some reason had lots of pictures of bridges with people going over them.
They’re so funny and fascinating to me, the art seems to depict regular, common people during their daily activities.
No heroes, no royals, no adventures, just another tuesday in the past.
So many details, so much to see.

I became obsessed, so I made a thread of it on social media and now I turn that into this article.

The full title of the book is ‘Vita et passio sancti Dionysii, traduction en français par Denis Boitbien. Boitbien, Vie et martyre de saint Denis, traduction française de la Vita et passio sancti Dionysii’, it was made by Yves de Saint-Denis, if I understood correctly.
You can see the full book here: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84478804

Sheep & a pig brought in!
Must be marked day because in many cities animals weren’t allowed to just wander around.
Also note the pig having tied a rope to his back leg that his herder is holding on to.
Look, a bear that can walk on its hands!
I’m not sure the public approves though.
A man getting a shave.
A lady with a distaff spinning, a grumpy looking monkey.
Poor beggars?
Maybe blind?
Oi Dave, stop fighting that man!
Why are they in the canal?
Swimming for fun?
Bathing?
I like how the one about to jump in is holding his nose like we still often do… but why does he have a tail??
What are the two in the boat doing, hiding or just undressing?
Wow is that the distaff model deluxe ultra?
Some fine looking dogs.
A man with only one lag and a grumpy looking trader.
Are that blue and red thing tents or stylised houses?
More people working and a man with a portable organ.
More people with missing limbs.
And a barefooted man with shoes hanging from his neck.
Ah my weekend supply of mead has arrived.
Man with a monkey.
Two travellers on horseback, is the one in red getting the “don’t you dare” finger?
Bird on a string, bird in a cage and the person on the right appears to be a begging leper, holding a clapper to warn people.
Dave why are you in your underpants?


Deirdre why are you buying suspicious almond smelling potions?
Trading, a smith, someone walking a dog?
The 13:35 from Chartres pulling into the station.
I love this one, a man with a bowl, in what appears to be his underpants, carrying a child on his back.
How progressive!
And a knife trader or doctor perhaps who is trying very hard not to look at the underpants.
A man with a basket, another lady spinning.
Someone selling bread perhaps, a smith and a someone transporting goods.
A bored trader selling potatoes 😉
A smith and oh my god, what is that man doing to that donkey?
A man carrying a bag, someone perhaps trying to buy a knife from a lady who doesn’t like haggling.
Again someone selling perhaps bread, not sure what that long white thing is, a shopping list?
A smith and a chap returning from hunting with his bird of pray?
And what are those chaps doing?
It… it looks a bit like they’re cleaning the street or the gutter!
Medieval people caring about clean streets! But we were taught they were a filthy bunch…
And some fishermen who really look quite unhappy.

One thought on “Medieval lives on medieval bridges”

  1. Great images… I think that the “distaff model deluxe ultra” would be what we now call a niddy noddy used for winding the spun yarn into a skein.

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