A discovery in a medieval work has the world of religious historians and Star Wars fans buzzing.
An illustration of a figure, striking an incredible resemblance to Jedi Master Yoda, has been discovered in a 14th-century manuscript.
According to NPR, the figure and similarity was first discovered by historians Damien Kempf and Maria L. Gilbert, who published their findings in a blog on the British Library’s site. In their piece, called “Ten Things to Know about Medieval Monsters,” the Yoda-like figure appears at No. 10, the authors alluding that monsters may look like “Hollywood movie stars.”
“The Yoda image comes from a 14th-century manuscript known as the Smithfield Decretals,” the British Library’s curator for the blog, Julian Harrison, told NPR. “I’d love to say that it really was Yoda, or was drawn by a medieval time traveler. It’s actually an illustration to the biblical story of Samson — the artist clearly had a vivid imagination!”
In a longer interview with The Guardian, Harrison explains how the British Library is making its archives more accessible online, including posting pictures of these incredible illustrations. It’s a social campaign that is proving quite popular for the Library — and also introducing modern audiences to characters that may or may not have cribbed a note or two from medieval times. The blog has grown from about two hits per day to 36,000, thanks to its healthy Twitter presence, he told The Guardian.
Finding everyday characters today in older works is part of the fun: Harrison even found some medieval LOLcats of the Middle Ages.
The Yoda finding is part of a new book, Medieval Monsters, which is available on the British Library’s site for about 10 pounds, or $15.
