Swedish Medieval Church Painting

Arranged by Prophets and Saints rather than by church, artist or style, this book is a collection of "Bible of the Illiterate" frescos from Swedish medieval parish churches. During the Middle Ages in Sweden, the Catholic Church became established and began to replace the traditional Nordic gods and goddesses, and by the 12th and 13th centuries many parish churches were being built throughout the southern half of the country. Because most people were unable to read, much less understand the Latin services, the walls and ceilings of these "folk" churches were often decorated with paintings depicting biblical scenes or folklore and legends, for the purpose of teaching as well as issuing moral warnings, all of which served to educate the congregation. These paintings came to be known as "The Bible of the Illiterate". With the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century came changes not only to religious doctrines, but also in the church paintings. The simple, stylistically primitive and often rather humorous medieval pictures which were viewed as blasphemous and of the "Roman Church", were covered in whitewash and frequently replaced by more realistic and serious Renaissance interpretations of protestant doctrines. It wasn't until the 20th. Century that the original paintings have been discovered and restored, a process which continues up to the present day. This volume is a collection of such fresco paintings and their stories.