Snakes

Snakes /anguis/ 10×2.6 cm
The introductory text about snakes was borrowed from Isidor /XII.IV.1.—3/. They are called “anguis”, a modification of “angulosus” /bent/, “coluber” because a snake looks for a shade /colat umbras/ or “serpens” because it sneaks or creeps /serpit/ to an object. Snakes vary in shape and colour. The miniature pictures two intertwined snakes. This is an ancient north-German motif passed on to the sculpture and miniature painting of the early Middle Ages and further on to Roman arts.