The Codex Gigas (also known as the “Devil’s Bible”) is the larger and heavier medieval manuscript to date known. Measure 92 centimeters of height for 50 width e 22 thick, and its overall weight is approximately 75 kilograms! The text has been thought to have been written in XIII century at the Benedictine monastery of Podlažicein Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic). The esoteric nickname of this text is linked to a particular representation of Satan Inside: according to legend, a Bohemian monk would have made a pact with the devil to be able to write this huge tome in one night … even if recent analyzes on the text have denied this folkloristic theory.
The text was believed to have been made in the thirteenth century in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice, in Bohemia (current Czech Republic). It is a volume of enormous size and initially contained 320 parchments, even if 8 of these were removed from other monks in subsequent eras. The text contains the entire version in Latin from the Bibleexcluding the acts of the apostles and the book of the apocalypse which are written in a pre-vulgar language. But it is not over: there are also other texts such as the work inside Jewish antiquitythe Chronica Boemoruma calendar with obituary and various treaties of history and etymology. The whole volume is richly decorated even if this is not what made it famous, but rather the presence of anImage of Satan that in full involves page 290.
Just this illustration would have given birth to one legend from dark tones, which features a monk of this convent named Herman as protagonist. It seems that he had been sentenced to be worthy But, to escape this condemnation, he asked his confreres to allow him to create a work in one night that contained all the knowledge acquired by humanity until then. They agreed and he, in order to succeed in this impossible company, asked for help to Satan himself – and hence the name of Devil Bible.
However, however much it may be a fascinating story, it seems that in reality the text was made during At least twenty years by the same person, even if the fact that writing is incredible remains incredible perfectly uniform throughout the work. After numerous transfers over the centuries, the text is now preserved in the National Swedish bookcase, In Stockholm.
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