Sound effects

DR. B. JUST MADE SOUND EFFECTS TO DESCRIBE A SCENE OF THE NATIVITY ON THE HILDESHEIM DOORS!!!! Best moment in the history of college!

Otto III

Can you tell he had a Byzy Mamma?

Vivian Bible

Reading

When I was a kid, sometimes my classmates would fight over what books they wanted to read during reading time. I wonder if the monks fought over sweet illuminated codices back in the day? I bet they did. I woulda thrown down with anyone trying to read my illuminated codex!

Coronation Gospels of Charlemagne

Purple Paper!

mysogyny

I want to hear more about Medieval chicks, dude!

The Rule of St. Benedict

What a cool dude. He was really ahead of his time.

Monasteries

Monasteries rock. Monks and Nuns are some of the coolest people EVER! There's this Medieval blueprint for the ideal monastery in Switzerland. I should go see it. It provides historians with a clear idea of what a proper monastery should look like and how it should run. Of the utmost they should be self-sufficient. So cool. Shaker Village is eerily similar.

ON!

Dude these students are on tonight! They all must have read! Good on you all!!

Aachen and Islam

I feel like Aachen has more similarities with contemporary Islamic architecture than is already given credit.

New Name

I've just given myself a new name: Byz Mookie (pronounced like BizMarkie)!

Roman-Byzy-Carolingian links

The Romans left such an AWESOME! visual legacy. Everyone wanted to follow it. It's soooo cool!
Ooooh! Aachen!

Imperial Patronage of Art

The Carolingians really knew how to do it, dude!! Charlemagne was one cool dude. I think he was probably pretty insane and conceited, but he was smart and commissioned really pretty 'stuff' so I give him the OK!

Favorite Date

25 December 800 - the crowning of Charlemagne!!!

Sad news

Sad day. The St. Pete Police Officer shot last night was shot in the vicinity of USFSP. There are 'copters circling overhead. Hopefully they catch the culprit soon!! Bless all those who serve the public!

Michael the Archangel, patron of police officers.

Signing off

This will be my last post, as we all gaze at a wonderful, but emotional icon of the crucifixion. The suffering  Christ with a bit more gore than earlier scenes of the crucifixion. The shift in religious ideologies visualized through these religious tools used to inspire deep contemplation and prayer. I know I'm thinkin'!! I'm thinkin' Byzantine art is awesome!!!!!

Yowzas!

One of the students just had a eureka moment. Kinda proud! Indeed, there was a great deal of travel during the Middle Ages. Transculturation was HUGE! People traveled extensively. Women did, too! If one could afford it, one could make a pilgrimage.

Icons

I love icons. Yes, I do!

Mind Boggling

Dude, Byzy art makes me crazy awed. It's the best in the whole wide world. It was experiential and totally sensual. Just thinking about the experience of viewing such things makes me weak in the knees.

Phenomenology

Can I please type about visiting a church like Hagia Sofia in the way it should be experienced? Incense. Chanting. Whispers. Golden tesserae glittering in the sunlight. The heat or chill of the weather. If I could experience that I would die.

Classholes

Every class has at least one. I'm glad this dude knows more than Dr. B. ...

Why I love Byzantium

I think my love for Byzantine art actually dates from my first trip to an Orthodox church in high school. There was an Orthodox church adjacent to my high school and one day during our theology class, we walked over to see the interior. I remember the iconostasis and the priest talking about icons and I fell in love.

Hagia Sofia

I'm pretty sure that if I ever get the chance to visit Istanbul I might die if I enter Hagia Sofia. My experience at San Marco indicates to me that that is a serious possibility. In fact, visiting might be hazardous to my health.

OHMIGAWD! WHAT IF I GET A T-SHIRT WITH HAGIA SOFIA ON IT!!!!!!!! I WANT IT!

I want to hug this power point presentation right now. *sobs*

Persian art meets Medieval

So happy I learned a bit about the Sassanians this morning with Dr. M! Ivory relief of Justinian includes a little dude wearing a Phrygian cap! 'Tis so cool! I do love the mixing of visual culture!

Tangents

I'll stop adding my two cents from now on. I created a monster with that last comment... Sorry! It's just so hard for me to not talk about one of my Queens!

Limbs

Going out on limbs. Making grand and crazy assumptions. Chariots. We know what they look like. Thank you. It's not a door. Do you see a handle? It's from Ezekial! Read it!

Feelings

oh gawd... feelings. so many feelings.

Gospels

I can never remember the symbols of the Gospels. Here goes:
Lion = Mark
Man = Matthew
Luke = Ox
Eagle = John

Eclipse

Ooooh this awesome manuscript includes a reference to the eclipse that may have taken place during the Crucifixion

Mary Magdalene

The Magdalene is such an enigmatic and interesting figure. Gregory the Great really gave her a bad rap. I just learned that the Orthodox church never accepted some of Gregory's insinuations about her.

Constantinople

Dr. B.'s four year old nephew laughs hysterically when he hears the word: Constantinople. Sooo cute!

Dumbarton Oaks

We're talking about stuff in the Sion Treasure. Some of it's at the Dumbarton Oaks. I can't wait to kill two birds with one stone when I go to DC in a few weeks!!!

Egypt

Dr. B. keeps throwing in sad asides about her trip being cancelled. IT'S SO SAD!

Ampulla

Holy oil was distributed to some pilgrims and taken back home to anoint people from their homes. Segue to relics: go!

Tardy

Ooooh someone just came in! Super late!

Throwin' this out there

I want to go on a Medieval pilgrimage of the Holy Land. Who's with me?

Pilgrimage

I have always thought pilgrimages are awesome. Medieval pilgrimage souvenirs are so interesting. Someone collected a bunch of rocks from various sites around the Holy Land.

Sad news

Dr. B. has just announced she wont be going to Egypt in a few weeks... Revolutions have conflicted with her awesome tour of Egypt with AIA. I'm so sad for her!

Takin' care of Byz-ness!

Ooooh girl! Tonight's Medieval art class will focus on Byzantine art!! This also marks my first experience live-blogging.