![]() He soon realized that the task was beyond his powers, and he invoked the aid of the Devil, who demanded the monk's soul as payment. In order to escape punishment, he promised in one single night to write the largest book in the world that would make the monastery famous. Further, it is estimated that it would require twenty years of continuous writing to reproduce the calligraphy, not including the illustrations. One of the manuscript ’ s most disturbing features, a full – page illustration of Satan, was said to have been added by Herman in gratitude for the Devil’s aid.Įxperts have confirmed that the Codex is the work of a single scribe. With Satan’s aid, Herman was able to scribe the entire contents, illustrations included, within the allotted time. ![]() It is said that, during the night, the monk did not avail himself to G od, but to Lucifer instead. Pleading for his life, Herman promised to create a book in just one night that would bring everlasting glory upon the monastery, a request that was granted by his superiors. It is the peculiar story of its creation, however, that earns T he Devil’s Bible its ominous moniker.Īs the legend goes, a monk named Herman the Recluse, broke his monastic vows and, as punishment, was sentenced to be walled up alive inside the monastery. Comprised of Latin translations of the B ible and other religious texts, the contents are hardly mysterious. The manuscript dates to the early 1400s and originates from the Benedictine monastery in Podlazice, Czech Republic. T he 310 sheets of vellum that the book is written on is reputed to have required the skins of over 160 donkeys. Also known as The Devil’s Bible, the Codex Gigas is the largest medieval illuminated manuscript in the world, m easuring 36 x 20 x 9 inches and weighing 165 lbs.
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