Medieval Animals Project

The Medieval Animals Heritage is a Heritage Lottery Heritage Fund project focusing on the rich diversity of East Kent Medieval Animals Heritage (MAH) that spans nearly a thousand years. Real and imaginary animals had their stories told in medieval books, paintings, and sculptures. They helped to inspire and express people’s sense of wonder in the natural world. The heritage project is linked to the life and legacy of Saint Anselm, a theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 until 1109. St Anselm oversaw a spiritual and intellectual renaissance in East Kent. Less well-known is Anselm’s emphasis on creation and the natural world.

Medieval animals have been linked to St Francis, but this project brings the much more ancient bestiary tradition to the fore and shows how these books of beasts were used by St Anselm and his kinsman Honorius in East Kent to connect spirituality to people’s emotions in what became an important local and international heritage.

St Anselm and other medieval writers in medieval East Kent sought to engage everyone’s feelings by making animals the bearers of emotional meanings. We will reimagine their creativity, help children better understand their emotions, and support everyone’s wellbeing by enthusing about our fantastic local heritage.

The Medieval Animals Heritage Project is looking for volunteers who would kindly visit their local medieval churches for us and photograph medieval representations of animals - usually found in stained glass, tiles, pew ends and misericords, and stone carvings. We are asking for a photograph to be sent to Dr Diane Heath, the project lead (diane.heath@canterbury.ac.uk) of the item(s) found and, if possible, one of the exterior of the Church too, that we can put up on the project website, with the photographer duly credited, and a note of the name of the Church and its location, e.g. St Clement’s, Sandwich. We hope to build up an archive of sources that can be used by researchers and also by our special needs families in a simple ‘I Spy’ format.

[fg]jpg||Image[/fg][fg]jpg||Image[/fg][fg]jpg|Animal images from St Clement’s Church in Sandwich|Image[/fg]

As the project focuses on wellbeing, green heritage, and sustainability, we hope volunteers might carshare with others on these short trips out, walk, cycle, or take public transport where feasible.

Find out more at https://www.medievalanimals.org/