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ArtsThe wondrous Codex Gigas - aka. the Devil's Bible - goes on display in Prague
Exhibitions like this one are once in a lifetime: the loan of a famous
Bohemian tome officially known as the Codex Gigas (but also as the Devil's
Bible) to Prague. According to historians, the book, one of the largest
medieval manuscripts in the world (almost a metre tall and half a metre
wide), was completed some time in the 13th century at a Bendectine
monastery in east Bohemia. The tome, once considered to be the eighth
wonder of the world, is the oldest Czech chronicle written in Latin.
Despite its devilish moniker, the Codex is by no means a satanic bible:
the
name comes from an accompanying legend and a famous depiction of the devil
inside. It contains transcripts of the Old and New Testaments as well as a
number of other medieval documents. More
Current AffairsDevil's Bible goes on display in Prague after three century absence
The largest historical book in the world is to go on show at Prague's
Klementinum Gallery on Wednesday. Known as the 'Devil's Bible', it was
written in what is now the Czech Republic in the early thirteenth century,
and during the Middle Ages was regarded as a wonder of the world. Plundered
from Prague by Swedish soldiers during the Thirty Years War, it is now to
return to the city temporarily after an absence of over 350 years. Joshua
Singer has more.
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MagazineMagazine
This week, a Prague microbrewery makes a new beer from an unusual
ingredient: potatoes. What's causing a commotion in Czech kitchens, if it
isn't washing machines? Prague's woods can't cope with the number of
people using them for recreation, while ramblers shouldn't be too
surprised if they see hedgehogs with antennas sticking out of their backs.
And the innovative 1960s "automatic cinema" is to be revived.
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Current AffairsDevil's Bible returns home but only for few months
The Codex Gigas, also known as the Devil's Bible, is the biggest book in
the world. Made at the start of the 13th century in a Bohemian monastery,
it was one of the country's most prized works of art. In medieval times,
its uniqueness was even put on a par with the wonders of the world. But at
the end of the Thirty Years' War, it was taken by the Swedes and has been
Swedish property since then. The National Library in Prague has now been
allowed to borrow it for an exhibition that opens later this year.
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ArtsValuable Czech manuscripts stolen in Thirty Years War on show at Swedish Royal Library
In this edition of the Arts we get to see two remarkable manuscripts stolen
from the Czech Lands by the Swedes during the Thirty Years War. The first
is the intriguingly named Devil's Bible. The second is a religious text in
the hand of the great Czech reformer Jan Hus (in Latin but with
anti-German jibes written in Czech in the margins). We also learn about
the circumstances under which the manuscripts and other artworks were
stolen by the Swedish Army in the mid-17th century, and whether there is
any chance it might some day be returned.
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