Saturday, 6 December 2014

Medieval Beggars

A subject not that often covered..the lowest of the low in medieval Society..the beggars.
The males in this set have lost use of thier lower limbs..or lost bits of them entirely, an effect of warfare or work injuries?
This set, in resin,  is from Fredericus -Rex.
The female beggar could be a nun (the crucifix..which I´ve painted up as being wooden..a poor nun would be unlikely to have had such a large crucifix made from metal)   but a poor wandering nun who has taken up the life of a mendicant ..a practice more commonly taken up by Monks. The Nuns usually stayed inside their nunneries,  relying on donations. Nuns such as the  Clarissines, named after St. Clara, who was one of the followers of St. Francis.
The lower limb injuries would probably indicate ex-soldiers or those unfortunate to have been drafted in for a battle.
The levy type soldiers would be less likely to have some form of leg protection so damage to the legs was probably common amongst the "lower orders"on medieval battlefields.

The one on the "skateboard" Spinal injury or lame due to disease or from birth?
Medieval "Zombie attack!!! "
Sometimes a mistake can be made worse. First, taking the wrong turn and then giving to a holy Person...and that attracts  the rest of the "needy"
The Beggar on the left is from Linear -b and the one on the right, Valdemar.