To be fair, it’s really no surprise that this particular period in history has become such a popular subject for memes. Medieval times—and more specifically, medieval art—are incredibly memeable. I mean, lobster-riding knights, axe-wielding rabbits, floating babies, and common folk caught in all sorts of risqué situations? That’s basically begging for a silly caption. It’s very hard to resist, even if you tried.
While humans have always had a sense of humor (despite the modern world acting like it invented sarcasm), the Middle Ages had a kind of whimsy all its own. So it naturally begs the question: what made medieval art this weird?
According to researcher Olivia M. Swarthout, author of Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Love, Laugh (and Die) in Dark Times, a lot of those strange scenes were simply a reflection of real life at the time. The art may seem bizarre now, but it was often based on the experiences and ideas that were part of popular culture back then.
Unlike other historical periods, where most surviving works were created by formally trained artists, much of medieval art, especially the stuff found in illuminated manuscripts, was produced by monks and tradespeople. These creators weren’t necessarily following any formal artistic rules or traditions, and that led to wonderfully odd results.
“It’s almost like a look at everyday people’s inner lives,” Swarthout told CNN, “which isn’t something that you get in a lot of art history.”
And while some of their thoughts were deep or spiritual, others clearly involved putting pants on snails and letting cats play the bagpipes.
Matthew Ponesse, Associate Professor of History at Ohio Dominican University and the creator behind Medievalist Matt, told Bored Panda that animals frequently appear in medieval art simply because they were everywhere in medieval life.
“They were very much involved in agriculture, transportation, and food production,” he explained. “They also provided companionship for individuals and often inhabited the same living spaces. In a world teeming with animals, people in the Middle Ages became intimately familiar with their mannerisms and antics.”
“And, just like people today, they involved animals in their art and entertainment, often giving them playful and humorous human characteristics,” he added.
For fans of post-ironic humor and internet memes, it might feel like the Middle Ages were unintentionally ahead of their time. But Ponesse believes that people back then really weren’t all that different from us.
“Of course, they lacked the technology, comforts and conveniences of modern life,” he said. “But the big questions, issues, and challenges haven’t really changed. What’s the point of human existence? Are we alone in the universe? Why isn’t my relationship working? Would I be happy doing something else?”
“While I like placing medieval art in modern contexts and embracing the resulting absurdity, there are some elements that are timeless. For instance, I’m pretty sure an eye-roll in the Middle Ages likely had the same meaning it has today.”
