The Luttrell Psalter

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The Luttrell Psalter
Part 1 The Luttrell Family Politics
The Luttrell Psalter is probably one of the most
famous medieval illuminated manuscripts. It was
commissioned by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell (1276 -
1345), a wealthy English landowner who lived at
Irnham, Lincolnshire.
A psalter is a book of psalms a collection of
songs in the Bible - usually decorated with
pictures of saints and biblical scenes. The
Luttrell Psalter also contains a calendar, and
the music and words for some canticles or hymns.
The pages are illustrated not only the usual
pictures of saints and biblical scenes but also
amazing beasts and scenes of ordinary people at
work and play. These images are painted in rich
colours and embellished with gold and silver.
The wonderful illustrations contained in the
Luttrell Psalter are a primary source for
medieval life. They also contain hidden signs
and symbols which can be investigated to answer
many questions about politics, religion and the
role of women in medieval England.
Click Here to see a videoin which scenes from
the Luttrell Psalter are re-enacted ...
Click on the cover to open theLuttrell Psalter
find out more
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Contents
The Luttrell Family
Politics
All images from the Luttrell Psalter are
reproduced courtesy of The British Library
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Introduction to the meanings behind theimages in
the Luttrell Psalter
Click here to seemore images
The Luttrell Psalter is a unique record of 14th
century life, showing images of Lincolnshire
life, religious and political scenes and
wonderful grotesques.
The many images are more than just pretty
pictures however they have a deeper meaning
waiting to be uncovered.
Click Here to see a video in which Professor
Michelle Brown explains the meaning behind the
Luttrell Psalter.
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The Feast
The Psalter gives an insight into the everyday
life of a medieval baron.Here the Luttrell
family are shown eating a meal, sitting at the
high table.
Sir Geoffery Luttrell sits in the centre of the
high table. To his right is his wife, and to his
left is his two sons and another female (probably
his daughter). They have two guests both in
holy orders. Two other male figures wait at
table, bringing dishes to eat and towels to wipe
their fingers.Click on the picture to find out
more.
What Does It Mean?
Image taken from Psalm 113-114 ff.207vCourtesy
of The British Library
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The Feast
Food Dishes
The food and plates shown on the table are
intended to show the familys wealth and status.
They are eating roast chickens and suckling pig,
served on silver platters. The Luttrells would
have eaten large quantities of meat, including
game, which would have been hunted on the family
estate but very little fruit or
vegetables. Although the food is served from
silver dishes it is eaten from 'trenchers' made
of stale bread and although there are knives and
spoons on the table, they are eating with their
fingers, forks had yet to be introduced to
England. The previous page shows the food being
prepared by Sir Geoffreys cook John of
Bridgeford.
Back
Image taken from Psalm 113-114 ff.207vCourtesy
of The British Library
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The Feast
The People
This appears to be a special feast. The tapestry
behind the diners shows the coat of arms of Sir
Geoffrey, so it is likely that the people shown
are the various members of the Luttrell family.
Sir Geoffrey is seated in the centre, wearing an
elaborate hat and his wife Agnes is to his right.
The other lady is probably his daughter-in-law
Beatrice with Andrew and his other son next to
him. On far right are two friars, their black
and white habits show that they are Dominican or
'Black Friars' devoted to preaching and study.
Written documents record that the Luttrell family
had two Dominicans - Robert of Wilford and John
of Lafford - attached to the household as family
chaplains. One of their duties was to chant aloud
each week all 150 of the Psalms in the Psalter.
Threy may also have been involved with the
creation of the Psalter writing some of the
text and drawing or specifying the content of
some of the images.
Image taken from Psalm 113-114 ff.207vCourtesy
of The British Library
Back
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The Feast
The Servants
Two male figures wait at table, bringing dishes
to eat and towels to wipe their fingers. Women
servants did not wait at table until the late
17th century, and then only if the men were
unavailable. Sir Geoffrey appears to have been
fond of his servants the Steward or butler on
the left is probably Jon of Cole who was left the
tapestry and all the silverware in Geoffreys
will. The other servant has a withered hand.
Image taken from Psalm 113-114 ff.207vCourtesy
of The British Library
Back
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The Feast
What Does It Mean?
There is more to this picture than a simple
depiction of a family feast. After nearly 30
years of marriage the legality of Sir Geoffrey
and Agnes wedding was being questioned (they
were second cousins). If it was illegal then
Andrew, their son would not be able to inherit
the estate. The Luttrell Psalter was probably
commissioned in around 1330/31 at a time shortly
after the Popes decision that the marriage was
legal and this could well be a feast to give
thanks.
Look carefully at the people in the picture
they are shown as legless, some of them are blind
(with the whites of their eyes showing), others
are not listening and the servant has a withered
hand.. The text of the psalm on the page is
They have eyes that do not see, ears that do
not hear, hands that do not touch and feet that
do not walk on the paths of righteousness.
The picture of the feast is a reminder to the
Luttrell family that they may have been told that
their marriage is legal but that they must still
be careful to think about God and their
spirituality.
More
Back
Image taken from Psalm 113-114 ff.207vCourtesy
of The British Library
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The Feast
What Does It Mean?
The composition of the picture is also
interesting it is very similar to that of The
Last Supper also shown in the Psalter. Sir
Geoffrey, like Christ, sits in the centre of the
picture and has a man kneeling before him. He
also holds a chalice-like goblet to his lips
whilst his son Andrew to his left appears to be
holding a wafer.
The picture of the feast places Sir Geoffrey in
the role of Christ tending and watching over
his people and estates.
Previous
Back
Image taken from Psalm 113-114 ff.207vCourtesy
of The British Library
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Sir Geoffrey the Knight
Back
Image taken from Psalm 109 ff.202vCourtesy of
The British Library
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The idea of creating the Psalter may have been to
leave a permanent record of the turbulent times
at the latter part of Sir Geoffrey's life, and
possibly as an atonement for his past sins.
The Politics behind the Luttrell Psalter
The imagery in the Psalter displays everyday and
religious events, but they can also be seen as
medieval cartoons that show its creators true
sympathies against Edward II, a man that history
knows was easily corrupted by others.
These two images are located in the margin of the
Psalter. At the top, a man is being attacked by a
group of armed men. A similar figure is depicted
lower down kicking and pulling at a series of
crosses that depict a fence. The victim and the
perpetrator appear to be wearing clothes in the
style of a monks habit.
The castle is inhabited by women with flying
headdresses. A group of armed men are attacking
on the left while an escape is being made on the
right.  The appearance of a strange beast that
looks a cross between a rabbit and a dragon could
suggest the identity of the besiegers.
More Information
Click on the images to hear what Linda Hotchkiss
believes are the true meanings behind the
pictures.
Images courtesy of The British Library
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The Siege Alice de Laci, daughter of Henry, 3rd
Earl of Lincoln, was descended from Henry II
through his illegitimate son. Married at 12 to
Thomas Plantaganet she spent much of her married
life in Pickering (Yorkshire). In 1317, a knight
in the employ of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey,
kidnapped Alice whilst on her own manor in
Dorset. John may have undertaken this kidnap
because he was angry that her husband was
standing against his divorce He probably had the
support of the king (Edward II).
Alice was forcibly divorced and after Thomas
execution in 1322 spent time in prison under the
orders of Hugh Despenser and his son, Hugh the
Younger, favourites of Edward II at the time.
Alice later married Lord Strange. Unlike her 1st
marriage her 2nd appears to have been a love
match, though she was too old to bear children.
After burying her second husband at Barlings
Abbey in Lincolnshire, she married a third time
to Sir Hugh de Freyne, who had to kidnap her
from Bolingbroke Castle before she would become
his wife. Alice too was buried at Barlings Abbey.
The Raid In July 1312, a Royal Commission
investigated a raid on Sempringham Priory
committed some time earlier by a group of local
knights, including Sir Geoffery Luttrell. They
took sheep and held them at Birthorpe after
breaking down walls and threatening monks and
servants in the priory. The monks retaliated and
made their own raid on Birthorpe to retrieve
their animals, breaking down fences as they did
so.
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The Grotesques
This couple are both shown as half human, half
animal.
The man faces the woman despite his legs are
going in a different direction (he is taking
notice of her advances and making little attempt
to avoid her).
The woman wears a red cote-hardie and her hair is
covered (suggesting she is a married woman of
high rank).
The woman reaches out to thewell dressed and
groomed man.
A branch grows out of the womans back.A gold
wedding ring can be seen on it.Has she put her
wedding vows behind her?
The man is well dressed and groomed,a man of
status.
Click on the query points tofind out more
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Edward IIs wife, Isabella (known as the She-Wolf
of France to her enemies) soon found out that her
husband was not interested in women. Their
marriage produced only one child, the future
Edward III. Isabella sought attention from Roger
Mortimer, Earl of March, and he happily took her
favours. They became lovers despite Mortimer
having a wife and family at the time. Together,
they planned to overthrow Edward II and rule
England in the name of her son but neither they
nor their cause was very popular. They did
however seize control for a short while until
Edward III came of age to handle his own affairs.
Mortimer was executed, and Isabella spent the
rest of her days in a convent but she never took
a nuns vows.
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What Does It Mean?
Image taken from Folio Psalm 33 Courtesy of The
British Library
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The Execution
Click here to listen to Linda Hotchkiss opinion
on the meaning of this picture.
The Psalter contains many images of warfare or of
people being attacked. This image is particularly
interesting.
The victim wears a red robe often a sign of
royalty or wealth. On his neck is a trace of
blood indicating the headsman had already been
unsuccessful in severing the head from the body.
When Thomas Plantaganet, Earl of Lancaster, was
executed in 1322 after the Battle of
Boroughbridge, a swordsman was selected from the
Kings army to act as executioner. It took him
two strokes to complete the beheading. Only
someone who watched the spectacle would know
that!
Courtesy of The British Library
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The Beaten Husband?
Click here to listen to Linda Hotchkissopinion
on the meaning of this picture.
At first glance this image from the side of one
of the pages of the Psalter appears to be a woman
beating her husband with a distaff or spindle.
However , look more carefully and it tells a
different story.
The woman wears a red gown the sign of
royalty or wealth. The hair is curled in a male
style and there is no head-dress. She carries
a spindle or distaff. Women used a distaff when
spinning thread and it was the symbol of being a
wife. The husband is in a position suggesting
begging for forgiveness.
The woman is probably a reference to King
Edward II who was alleged to have effeminate ways
hence the distaff in his hand. The man begging
forgiveness of his king is probably Edward IIs
half-brother, Thomas Plantaganet, Earl of
Lancaster. The Earl fought against the King
because he was unhappy about the things Edward
was doing to the country, and Edwards constant
patronage of a group of man on whom he heaped
great favours and power.
Image taken from Psalm Psalm 31, ff. 60 Courtesy
of The British Library
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This PowerPoint presentation has been created by
Vikki Pearson for The Collection, Lincoln as part
of the Luttrell Psalter Learning Journey on Learn
with Museums www.learnwithmuseums.org.uk The
presentation uses images from the Luttrell
Psalter (reproduced courtsey of The British
Library) and video and audio clips courtesy of
Wagscreen, Professor Michelle Brown, Pauline
Loven and Linda Hotchkiss.
Contents