Having to endure the mind numbing monotony of duplicating manuscripts by hand every day of their cloistered lives, medieval monks vented their frustration by adding cartoons and statements in the margins.
Surprisingly, many of the statements are obscene and quite blasphemous, especially considering their source. What's not surprising is that historians are finding these unedited remarks quite illuminating, giving them a rare glimpse into the daily lives of the original office workers.
Hit the links for a sample of the comedy stylings of medieval monks, courtesy of Colin Dickey and the Lapham Quarterly.
Link --via i09
An interesting (although somewhat brief) article - made somewhat less interesting by a shortage of accompanying images! I sure would've loved to have seen those monkeys...
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