Sachsenspiegel
Type:
Illuminated manuscripts
Date:
Early fourteenth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Germany
Medium:
Parchment
Dimensions:
30 × 23.5 cm
Description:
The Sachsenspiegel (Saxon Mirror) is an influential law book written in German (likely translated from Latin) by Eike van Repgow between 1220 and 1235. Four illustrated copies were produced in the fourteenth century; this one (Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 164) is the oldest. More than half of each page is devoted to illustrations of the laws or customs described on that folio, with the images keyed to the text with large colored capital letters.
On fol. 1r, seven shields are show in hierarchical order, from the king (eagle) down to princes, lords, and vassals. A teacher of feudal law instructs a pupil, and a lord judges people who come before him. Fol. 7r deals with inheritance rights by full and half brothers; the full brother is shown with a double torso while the half brother has only one. They hold grain or corn, signifying the goods that some of them will inherit. On fol. 9, men build a dam, and then a man harvests grain and receives compensation for it. Narrow registers in calendar order illustrate a discussion about taxes. St. Margaret battles a dragon while sheaves of wheat are piled behind her (for July 20, her feast day). At the bottom left, St. Bartholomew carries his own flayed body on a stick, signifying the taxes and interest due on August 24, his feast day.
This hyperliteral iconography is also apparent on fol. 24r, which addresses rules about who can be a witness. Wends—the Saxon name for the West Slavs who lived in the eastern parts of German lands, who converted to Christianity in the twelfth century—could not bear witness against Saxons, and vice versa, unless the offender was caught red-handed. The page depicts different ethnicities. For instance, in the fourth image from the top, a Saxon, Frankish, and Jewish man (wearing a tall "Jewish hat"), plus a fourth unidentifiable man, stand in front of a seated Saxon count. Behind them, standing apart, is a Wend, identifiable by his short hair cut above the ears. At the bottom of the page are offenders caught in the act of committing an offense: before the same count, a short-haired Wend stands over a Saxon and a Saxon stands over a short-haired Wend. The Saxons both hold the Sachse, the short, hooked knife for which they were named. The point is that the ethnic identity of the individuals, indicated by means of hair style, clothing, and/or attributes, is a factor in the legal process.
On fol. 1r, seven shields are show in hierarchical order, from the king (eagle) down to princes, lords, and vassals. A teacher of feudal law instructs a pupil, and a lord judges people who come before him. Fol. 7r deals with inheritance rights by full and half brothers; the full brother is shown with a double torso while the half brother has only one. They hold grain or corn, signifying the goods that some of them will inherit. On fol. 9, men build a dam, and then a man harvests grain and receives compensation for it. Narrow registers in calendar order illustrate a discussion about taxes. St. Margaret battles a dragon while sheaves of wheat are piled behind her (for July 20, her feast day). At the bottom left, St. Bartholomew carries his own flayed body on a stick, signifying the taxes and interest due on August 24, his feast day.
This hyperliteral iconography is also apparent on fol. 24r, which addresses rules about who can be a witness. Wends—the Saxon name for the West Slavs who lived in the eastern parts of German lands, who converted to Christianity in the twelfth century—could not bear witness against Saxons, and vice versa, unless the offender was caught red-handed. The page depicts different ethnicities. For instance, in the fourth image from the top, a Saxon, Frankish, and Jewish man (wearing a tall "Jewish hat"), plus a fourth unidentifiable man, stand in front of a seated Saxon count. Behind them, standing apart, is a Wend, identifiable by his short hair cut above the ears. At the bottom of the page are offenders caught in the act of committing an offense: before the same count, a short-haired Wend stands over a Saxon and a Saxon stands over a short-haired Wend. The Saxons both hold the Sachse, the short, hooked knife for which they were named. The point is that the ethnic identity of the individuals, indicated by means of hair style, clothing, and/or attributes, is a factor in the legal process.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
10
Repository and Online Resources:
• See the digitized manuscript here.
Image Credits:
Heidelberg University Library
