immundus et leprosus

i'm Lenka, i'm from germany and i love history, especially everything to do with the middle ages

the pupose of this blog is the collection and archivation of various depictions of leprosy (or all the different diseases that were put under this category at the time) in manuscripts and illustrations of the high and late middle ages in central europe

i always found it incredibly hard to find comprehensive sources on this topic and visual depictions are quite rare. so i hope this blog will serve (me and maybe others) as a place to collect all the information i can find

if you have any interesting sources yourself, feel free to message me!

Thanks and have fun ♡

man with leprosy with his typical wide brim hat and leper bell, 1425, MS Lansdowne 451, folio 127r, British Library

Johannes Birk (?), Stiftung des Gotzhaus Kempten ("Karlschronik"), ca. 1499-1500, (Bayrische Staatsbibliothek München, cgm 9470, folio 65r)

Stamp seal of the leprosorium Melaten in Cologne, (1249), Historical Archive Cologne

And here is the seal of the same leprosorium of the 13th century. The inscription says: SIGILLVM LEPROSORVM COLONIENISIVM [sic] (seal of the lepers of Cologne).

On the right we see a rich resident of the city titled DIVES. On the left LAZARUS, above him the hand of god.

Notice the little dog, licking the sores at his legs.

Stamp seal of the leprosorium Melaten in Cologne, (c. 1570), Kölnisches Stadtmuseum

The inscription reads: SIGILLVM LEPROSORVM EXTRA MVROS CIVITATIS COLONIE(NSI)S (seal of the lepers outside the walls of the city of Cologne)

Vincent of Beauvais (c. 1184-1264), Speculum Historiale (century manuscript. XIV). Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, folio 373r

A leper and a wounded man are refused entry into the city by a resident/burgher at the main gates, holding out his arms in rejection.

The leper is portrayed with the typical clothing and wooden clapper to announce his presence.

Four lepers at the gate of Samaria, France, 1372, Petrus Comestor's "Bible Historiale" (manuscript "Den Haag, MMW, 10 B 23")

The manuscript depicts the biblical story of 2 Kings 7:3-20 during the aramean siege of the city of Samaria. According to the story, the four lepers bring the news of the enemy's miraculous retreat to the guards at the gates and thus saving the city from starvation