Images

A detail of an illustration from a 14th Century CE manuscript of Roman de Brut, a legendary history of Britain by the Norman poet Wace (c. 1110 - c. 1170 CE). The young Merlin is depicted, alongside his mother, approaching King Vortigern...

A depiction of St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179 CE) going to the monastery at Disibodenberg, where she meets St. Jutta of Sponheim, who was to be her tutor. From the Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard in Eibingen, Germany. The monastic...

Detail from a monument to St. Hilda (614 - 680 CE) in Whitby, England. The coiled ammonite shells at St. Hilda's feet are a reference to a legend in which she turned snakes which plagued Whitby to stone. This legend helped to explain the...

A depiction of St. Hilda of Whitby (614 - 680 CE) from one of the stained glass windows in Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, US.

St. Edwin of Northumbria (c. 586 - 632 CE) was king of Deira and Bernicia (later known as Northumbria) from 616 until his death. Edwin was also the uncle of St. Hilda of Whitby (614 - 680 CE). This depiction of him in stained glass is from...

A photograph of the ruins of the 7th Century CE Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, England. The abbey was founded by King Oswy of Northumbria (642-670 CE) in 657 CE, and was placed under the guidance of its first abbess, St. Hilda of Whitby...

The Roman military hospital (or Valetudinarium) in Novae, Bulgaria. Novae was the site of an important Roman fortress along the Danubian border. Like other major Roman fortresses along the borders of the Roman Empire, this fort had its own...

This glazed and painted terracotta face of uncertain provenance was probably intended as a votive offering, probably for the healing of a skin condition. Votive offerings were often dedicated at the temples of gods associated with healing...

A little over 110 mm (4.3 inches) high, this small bronze figure of a skeleton is a "memento mori" (Latin for "Remember you must die"). These figures were handed out at gatherings and celebrations, as a reminder of the threat of mortality...

Ancient Romans often dedicated votive objects to specific gods associated with healing in the hopes of recovery. These objects were in the form or representation of the affected body part and would be left at the temple of a god. This...