The Saint-Sever Beatus: An Illustrated Commentary on the Apocalypse (Part 3)

This is the third part of an ongoing series on the Saint-Sever Beatus, an illuminated manuscript of the 11th century produced at the abbey of Saint-Sever in southwestern France. The primary text which it illustrates, and for which it is named, is a commentary on the book of the Apocalypse written by Saint Beatus of Liébana, a monk who lived in northern Spain in the 8th century. For further details, see part 1. This article covers the illustrations from the beginning of chapter 6, the appearance of the Four Horsemen, to the sounding of the seventh trumpet at the end of chapter 11.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (chapter 6, 1-8); in each corner, the Lamb opens the relevant seal. Between each horseman and the Lamb St John is seen with one of the four animals mentioned in the previous chapter.

The Lamb opens the fifth seal, and John see the souls of those who were slain for the word of God under the altar (6, 9-11).

Chapter 6, 12-15: “And I saw, when he had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair: and the whole moon became as blood, and the stars from heaven fell upon the earth, as the fig tree casteth its green figs when it is shaken by a great wind. And the heaven departed as a book folded up: and every mountain, and the islands were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and tribunes, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains.”

Chapter 7, 1-3: “After these things, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that they should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Chapter 7, 9-10: “After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands: and they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb.” (The artist has obviously taken some liberty with the white robes.)

Chapter 7, 11-12: “And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, 12 Saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

Chapter 8, 2-3 and 5: “And I saw seven angels standing in the presence of God; and there were given to them seven trumpets. And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. ... And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it on the earth, and there were thunders and voices and lightnings, and a great earthquake.”

Chapter 8, 7: “And the first angel sounded the trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood, and it was cast on the earth, and the third part of the earth was burnt up, and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.”

A decorative element on the opposite side of the same folio; made, perhaps, because the red ink from the previous image had seeped through the page, making it unsuitable for the text.
 

Chapter 8, 8-9: “And the second angel sounded the trumpet: and as it were a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea became blood: and the third part of those creatures died, which had life in the sea, and the third part of the ships was destroyed.”

Chapter 8, 10-11: “And the third angel sounded the trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, burning as it were a torch, and it fell on the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters, and the name of the star is called Wormwood. And the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”

Chapter 8, 12-13: “And the fourth angel sounded the trumpet, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, so that the third part of them was darkened, and the day did not shine for a third part of it, and the night in like manner. And I beheld, and heard the voice of one eagle flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice: Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth: by reason of the rest of the voices of the three angels, who are yet to sound the trumpet.”

A decorative element at the end of a section of the commentary.

The vision of the locusts in chapter 9: the figure at the upper middle is labeled as Satan, even though he is not mentioned by name in this chapter.

Chapter 9, 13-15: “And the sixth angel sounded the trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the great altar, which is before the eyes of God, saying to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet: Loose the four angels, who are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year: for to kill the third part of men.”

The army of horsemen in chapter 9, 17-18: “And thus I saw the horses in the vision: and they that sat on them, had breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions: and from their mouths proceeded fire, and smoke, and brimstone. And by these three plagues was slain the third part of men, by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.”

This page compresses the visions of chapter 10 and part of 11 into a single page. In the upper section, from chapter 10, 1-2: “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was on his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open. ...” Then, continuing from chapter 11, 1: “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and it was said to me: Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar and them that adore therein.”

The two witnesses mentioned at 11, 3, who are commonly understood to be Henoch and Elijah.

Chapter 11, 7-8: “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast, that ascendeth out of the abyss, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which is called spiritually, Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord also was crucified.” (The caption under the city reads, “The antichrist kills Elijah and Henoch.”

Chapter 11, 12-13: “And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying to them: Come up hither. And they went up to heaven in a cloud: and their enemies saw them. And at that hour there was made a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell: and there were slain in the earthquake names of men seven thousand...”

Chapter 11, 15: “And the seventh angel sounded the trumpet: and there were great voices in heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Amen.”