Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Title: Herr Kristan von Hamle
Creator:
Description: Herr Kristan von Hamle sits in a basket as his lady draws him up to her using a pulley system. His device appears in the upper right corner. This scene takes iconographical inspiration from that of Virgil. According to medieval accounts, Virgil fell in love with the daughter of the Roman emperor. They plan to raise him to her room in a basket, but she intentionally leaves him raised halfway and dangling to be mocked by the public. The tale thus served as a comment on the power that women have over men. The woman raising Kristan, however, shows no intention of stopping and does not seem to fit into this misogynistic trope.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rights: Public Domain
Subject (See Also): Codex Manesse Courtly Love Heraldry Kristan von Hamle, Poet Minnesang, Literary Genre
Geographic Area: Germany
Century: 14
Date: ca. 1305-1340
Related Work: Codex Manesse. See the full text of the manuscript on the University of Heidelberg site: http://diglit.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/cpg848?&ui_lang=eng
Current Location: Heidelberg, Universitätsbibliothek, Cod. Pal. germ. 848, 71v
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Manuscript Illuminations
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Vellum (parchment); Paint
Donor:
Height/Width/Length(cm): 35.5cm/25cm/
Inscription: Her Kristan von Hamle
Related Resources: