“Non Mudera” translated ‘I won’t change’
-Anne of Brittany
Anna di Bretagna (dettaglio) by Jean Bourdichon
Holy Cannabis
In 1503 a special holy book was commissioned by the only woman to be Queen of France, Twice, Queen Anne of Brittany.
The special book Queen Anne wanted? A holy book of hours…
A book of hours was a christian devotional book, usually filled with texts, prayers and psalms written in Latin.
Making wine, page from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508
Between 1503 and 1508 Jean Bourdichon painstakingly illustrated the royally commissioned holy book. The book Jean Bourdichon would create for the Queen was exceptional…
Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany (Les Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne) was decorated in lavish artwork fitting a Queen. But this book had some special artwork missing from most surviving holy books…
Field work, page from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508
Intermixed with religious scenes were a mixture of daily life choirs. Working on the farm, making wine, sowing the fields were among the scenes chosen to depict.
Sowing the field, page from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508
But in this holy book, these daily life scenes were mixed with a unique addition…
Bourdichon would paint realistic representations of 337 plants spread throughout the ornate pages. When it came down to the choices of which plants to illustrate, Bourdichon chose an interesting plant indeed… Cannabis!
Page depicting Male cannabis from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508
Page depicting Female cannabis from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508
Not satisfied with just a simple cannabis drawing, he would paint the plant twice… Even though he would mislabel the pair, Cannabis would be the only plant to illustrate both the male and female…
Cue the angel music…
Side by side illustrations of cannabis from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508
Written in hours, it would take centuries to rediscover our holiest of higher knowledge…
Hey Wiseman, Who brought the cannabis infused anointing oil? Oh there it is…
Wiseman shows us the holy oil lol, Page from Grandes Heures of Anne of Brittany 1503-1508