Illuminated Poem: the Flying Monk.

 My fourth illuminated poem.  Having written the last two about an accountant and an insurance salesman, it occurred to me that I had unintentionally written them about the two careers my children had recently started, so it seemed appropriate to see if I could write one about my wife's career.  She is an aircraft engineer, and aircraft were notably absent in the mediaeval period, but I was aware of one... that built by Eilmer of Malmesbury, an 11th century monk mentioned in the histories of William of Malmesbury, a later monk from the same abbey.  

I tinkered with the story a bit... the real Eilmer broke his legs in his first flight and never flew again, whereas mine kept trying.  But in the end, my Eilmer was out-classed by flying nuns, in tribute to my wife who has succeeded as a woman in a very male-dominated sphere of work.

Stylistically, the inspiration for the illuminations is the "Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry"






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