Song of Songs and Book of Daniel with Commentary Song of Songs and Book of Daniel with Commentary

King Solomon’s Song of Songs from the Old Testament is a collection of love poems which were interpreted in an allegorical manner in the Middle Ages. The bridegroom stands for Christ, the bride for the Church. In the early period of the Reichenau scriptorium, a painter transformed this concept into unusual images.

A long procession of believers moves towards the crucified Christ, who is placed in the top right-hand corner of the left-hand page. A woman leads the parade, pointing towards Christ with her left hand and holding a chalice in the right. She represents the Church, who celebrates the holy Eucharist in order to recall the passion of Christ.

On the right-hand page, the Song of Songs begins with the initial letter O. In its centre, Christ sits on a throne and blesses the approaching crowd. The purple edges of the leaves enhance the gold’s brightness.