Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Psalter-Hours
Belgium, Liège, 1261
MS M.440 fol. 55v

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Psalm 052 (Vulg., 051)
Innocents: Massacre -- Horned bestial devil with bat's wings hovers above Herod the Great, crowned, with sword in left hand, seated on bench, glancing toward soldier in chain mail, with sword transfixing infant; two bleeding infants lie on ground. One of two mourning mothers, wearing berbettes, stands with left hand raised to inclined head, and the other sits with clasped hands.
The devil and two mothers are in spandrels of initial Q.
Scene against gold background within initial Q, with its tail-descender formed by beast head issuing foliate extension, and in spandrels of the initial.