Cockney illustrated Bible from the 14th century
A new facsimile edition of the 14th century Holkham Bible was recently published by the British Library. Last week's Time Out London featured a fascinating (and, frustratingly, offline!) article on the Bible, which was drawn by a cockney who started off to produce a pamphlet and quickly expanded out to produce a mammoth retelling of the life of Christ, cheekily inserting himself into many of the illustrations. It features Mary being ribbed for getting knocked up, Noah reeling with drink, an Jesus (residing among the cockneys of Paternoster Row) literally reassembling a lad who falls off a roof and falls into many pieces. London barmaid and bankers are sent to hell, and many other elements that are emblematic of life in 1330s London. Link
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