The Christmas Story in Early Medieval English Art
Looking at Nativity and Epiphany
Nativity and Epiphany: The Christmas Story in Early Medieval English Art
For those who celebrate Christmas, the nativity scene is a familiar image. The nativity scene has a number of symbolic parts that can be put together, give or take a few, and are instantly recognisable: a stable, a star, a woman holding a baby with a man beside her, shepherds, perhaps with lambs, three kings, a manger, a donkey and an ox. This image functions iconographically, in that the different parts can be represented very stylistically and still be recognisable. If you don’t believe me, just look up ‘minimalist nativity scenes’!
The nativity scene is probably one of the most common examples of Christian iconography in modern society, and serves as a useful frame of reference for understanding medieval religious art. The goal in drawing a nativity scene is to represent the figures and the story in a single image, not to create a photorealistic scene. This is how a lot of medieval art can be understood.
But the way the birth of Christ was represented in pre-Norman England is not the same as the way it is depicted now. The main difference is that ‘Nativity’ scenes now often depict the three Magi (also known as kings or wise men), even though in the Western Church calendar their arrival is celebrated with a feast separate from Christmas. This takes place on the 6th January and is known as Epiphany. Medieval iconography does not conflate these two events, but depicts them as two different scenes. Medieval images of Epiphany often show Christ as a young child rather than as a baby like at the Nativity, emphasising that time has taken place between these two important events. Medieval nativity scenes also don’t include the star, which is included only in Epiphany scenes.
The earliest image from England of either of these events is probably the Epiphany scene on front panel of the Franks Casket, which dates to around 700:
