Flustered Duck

@flusteredduck

Poetry fan, avid reader, provides editing and self-publishing services as well as transcription, based in Albany, Western Australia.

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Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· 24d

This week's medieval beast is the octopus which was said to be intelligent but deceitful. This octopus is from a mid 14th century "De animalibus" by Albertus Magnus (c1193-1280). #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #octopus

A light brown/fawn-coloured seven-tentacled beast with a small, sharply beaked head lying on its side on a manuscript page above a blue border with a gilt corner. There is sepia-coloured text above the beast. Its tentacles are shown with frill-like bumps on the top side. The tentacles are very long. The beast seems to have very broad shoulders as well as a clear neck and very small head. It has a fierce expression. Image from Bibliothèque Nationale de France, lat. 16169 [De animalibus], folio 188r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· 25d

A painting by Thomas Jones Barker (1815-1882) is our writing prompt this week. Where is this bearded chap working? And what is he doing? #writingprompts #writinglife #writingtips #artworks #thomasjonesbarker

Against a dark background, a manwith a mutton-chop style beard wearing a hat, dark jacket and light-coloured trousers is seated cross-legged on a bench. He is working on a net intently with a long stick across his lap. There is a fishing basket on the ground beside the bench. Image by Thomas Jones Barker (1815-1882) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· 26d

"The Carrier" by Ruth Newton is a sci fi thriller where a company is selling a way to pass your pain onto a Carrier—and the only cost is the Carrier's life… #bookrecommendations #tbrlist #thecarrier #ruthnewton #scifi #thriller

Book cover of solid orange with a central blue eye oozing tears.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· 27d

Jumble Publishing and Editing (jumblepublishing.com) can help with your editing and self-publishing so you can get your book into readers' hands. Image: Edward Davis (1833-1867) #jumblepublishing #publishing #selfpublishing #editing #artworks #edwarddavis

A white-haired man is seated side-on to a table covered by a red and brown-checked cloth reading a very large book placed on top of the table. He is tracing the words of the book with one hand and the other hand is resting on the upper knee of his crossed legs. He is wearing a loose, long, open brown jacket, a buttoned black waistcoat, a white shirt and cravat, light brown knee breeches, blue stockings and laced brown shoes. A tabby cat is curled up asleep on the ground to the right of his chair and he appears to be sitting in a farm-style kitchen. Image by Edward Davis (1833-1867) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· 28d

Medieval finges were said to be somewhere between wild and domesticated. This finges is from a c1300-1325 version of "Der Naturen Bloeme". #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #finges

A drawing of a quadruped facing right with a tufted tail and rounded ears. It has two nipples hanging down from its throat in front of its forelegs. It is standing on green grass between two blocks of text. Image from British Library, Additional MS 11390 [Der Naturen Bloeme], folio 15v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· 29d

Medieval finges used their two prominent nipples to suckle their young as in this image from a 13th century "Liber de natura rerum". #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #finges

A smiling brown dog-like beast facing to the left with two nipples hanging down from what seems to be its shoulders. Two brown pups are seated in front of the beast suckling at the nipples. The drawing has a dark blue background with four large gilt circles and a gilt frame bordered in black ink. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 [Liber de natura rerum], folio 64v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 14

Medieval finges were said to be from Ethiopia and to be unable to bear any sort of injury. This image is from a later version (c1350) of "Der Naturen Bloeme". #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #finges

A brown dog-like quadruped with its hind legs in a seated position and its forelegs in a standing position with two white human-like breasts on its chest/throat in front of its forelegs. It has a long mane of hair and long ears pointing towards its back. It appears to be snarling. It has white highlights. It is shown against a gilt background with two stylised trees in a red and blue decorated frame with gilt corners. Image from Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB, KA 16 [Der Naturen Bloeme], folio 58r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 13

This week's medieval beast is the finges which is described as a brown-haired beast with two nipples on its chest. This image is from the oldest known copy of "Der Naturen Bloeme" (c1287). #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #finges

A generic-looking brown dog-like beast with a club tail and a cluster of white nipples like a cow's udder on its chest/throat in front of its front paws. It is shown side-on, looking towards the left, and its single visible eye is very round and surprised-looking. It appears to be standing on grass against a red-brown background in a three-sided gilt frame with a large initial letter below and text above. Image from Lippische Landesbibliothek, Ms. 70 [Der Naturen Bloeme], folio 29r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 12

Our writing prompt this week is by Edward Hopper (1882-1967). Why is this chap sitting in his shirt sleeves on the footpath? #writingprompts #writinglife #writingtips #artworks #edwardhopper

A balding man dressed in a collarless white shirt with red armbands, an open dark waistcoat, dark trousers and dark shoes is seated on an empty boardwalk in front of a commercial-style blue building. A yellow clapboard commercial building with a shuttered window is beside the blue building. The man is seated with crossed arms leaning on his thighs and looking up slightly with his feet on the pale-coloured street. It is unclear whether he is waiting or hung over. "Edward Hopper" is printed in capitals in the bottom right-hand corner. Image by Edward Hopper (1882-1967) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 11

"Sketch" by Ros Hill features a superhero brought to life by magic ink who finds himself adapting to being human as well as a superhero which battling a villain determined to steal the magic ink. #bookrecommendations #tbrlist #fantasy #sketch #roshill

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 10

Jumble Publishing and Editing (jumblepublishing.com) can help with your editing and self-publishing so you can get your book into readers' hands. Image: Maurice Loutreuil (1885–1925) #jumblepublishing #publishing #selfpublishing #editing #artworks #mauriceloutreuil

A balding gentleman in a loose jacket and trousers is seated reading a book with his arms resting on his thighs. He is sitting beside some shelves holding potplants on the top shelf and pots and pans on the second shelf. He seems to be sitting close to an open door with a green rolling landscape beyond it. The painting's brush strokes are very broad and rough so everything is very indistinct. The colours are mostly browns and greens. Image by Maurice Loutreuil (1885-1925) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 9

The illustrator of this medieval woodpecker from an Italian 13th century bestiary seems to have considered the woodpecker a bird of prey. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #woodpecker #woodpeckers

A standing blue-bodied bird with manuscript-coloured wings is standing above some text leaning forward. It has a long neck and a curved beak like a bird of prey. It also has long feathered legs like a bird of prey. Image from Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Reg. lat. 1862 [Bestiary (Second Family)], folio 15r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 8

Medieval woodpeckers, when cooked, were said to be able to cure leprosy. This very realistic woodpecker is from a c1350 version of "Der Naturen Bloeme". #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #woodpecker #woodpeckers

Facing to the right, a red bodied bird with folded black wings and a sharply pointed long beak is standing between stylised trees against a faded gilt background. It is surprisingly accurate. Image from Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB, KA 16 [Der Naturen Bloeme], folio 98v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 7

Medieval woodpeckers were said to use "herbs" to unblock their nesting holes if they were plugged as in this illustration from the Bestaire of Pierre de Beauvais, late 13th century. #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #woodpecker #woodpeckers

A pale-coloured (same colour as the manuscript page) flying bird holding a twig in its beak above an obviously plugged hole in a leaning green tree. More trees are visible in the distance. The background is a dark red-brown. The image is in a white decorated blue frame with red corners. The bird has no distinguishing features. Image from Private Library - Unknown Owner, ex-Phillipps MS 6739 [Bestiaire of Pierre de Beauvais (long version)], folio 12r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 6

Our medieval beast this week is the woodpecker which was said to clear all spikes or other attachments from the trees where it nested. This woodpecker is from a c1425 "De rerum naturis". #medievalbeasts #medievalmanuscripts #woodpecker #woodpeckers

A yellow bird with wings decorated with black chevrons and a spiky crest as well as a large open pointed orange beast is set within a blue square on a manuscript page. It seems to be leaning forward as if about to peck. It has black legs and feet and its tail extends into the blank margin of the page. Text is visible around three sides of the blue square. Image from Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 291 [De rerum naturis], folio 102r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 5

A painting by Henry Holiday (1839-1927) is this week's writing prompt. Are you going to focus on one of the girls? Or perhaps on their audience? #writingprompts #writinglilfe #writingtips #artworks #henryholiday

On the left, a young girl with long fair hair is playing a violin while looking at the sheet music on a wooden stand a taller and older fair-haired girl on the right, holding a violin against her hip, is turning. The younger girl is wearing a gown with elaborate ruched and puffed blue velvet sleeves trimmed with lace and a loose beige/cream-coloured silk/satin grown with a lace ruffle at her throat. The older girl is wearing a dark green velvet dress over a paler green blouse with elbow-length sleeve puffs and long embroidered cuffs trimmed by lace. The older girl is looking at the viewer with pale blue eyes. The girls are in a panelled room with an open doorway into a much lighter room behind them. Image by Henry Holiday (1839-1927) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 4

"Behind Five Willows" by June Hur is a retelling of "Pride and Prejudice" set in a historical Korea with book banning and secrets thrown in. #bookrecommendations #tbrlist #behindfivewillows #junehur #retellings #historicalfiction

Book cover showing a set of book shelves with a young gentlemen in traditional Korean garb including a hat looking up at a young woman, also in traditional Korean garb, with long hair in a single braid tied by a red ribbon.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 3

Jumble Publishing and Editing (jumblepublishing.com) can help with your editing and self-publishing so you can get your book into readers' hands. Image: Joseph Henry Hatfield (1863-1928) #jumblepublishing #publishing #selfpublishing #editing #artworks #josephhenryhatfield

A brown-haired woman with red bows in her hair is intently reading a book in the boughs of a tree. She is wearing a red shirt with thin white stripes and sleeves rolled up to her elbows with a blue skirt. The brush-strokes are very heavy making the girl and the tree behind her look blurry. Image by Joseph Henry Hatfield (1863-1928) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 2

This is my third knitted doll. I knitted ears and tried to give her more realist feet. I thought it would be fun if she could be a mermaid so I knitted her a mermaid tail and top—and turned the first failed tail into a beanie! #knitsky #ShowMeYourKnits #knitting #craftsky #crafts

Knitted doll with stitched eyes, button nose and red lips with knitted ears dressed in a fuzzy green mermaid tail with light blue waist and fins and matching tank top with fuzzy green beanie with blue band and blue tassel. She has black hair and dark beige skin.

Knitted doll with stitched eyes, button nose and red lips with knitted ears dressed in a knitted short pink dress with blue trim and a blue pattern on the skin. The pink has silver tinsel flecks through it. She has black hair with a tiny blue bow in a side braid and dark beige skin.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 2

"Liber de natura rerum" contains beasts now considered mythical but even "real" beasts often seem unreal as in this c1280 illustration which is meant to be a giraffe. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #liberdenaturarerum

An almost elephant-like quadruped with a trunk and tail which trail along the ground. It has a mane and appears to have cloven hooves. It is meant to be a giraffe. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 [Liber de natura rerum], folio 51v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jul 1

The later illustrated version of "Liber de natura rerum" is divided into 20 books, one more than the earlier version. The books describe the "natural history" of the day. This image is a sea-dragon from Book 6. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #liberdenaturarerum

A grey-blue dragon-like creature crawling over green waves. It has a very long tail, long flowing ears and fringed fin-like paws/feet. It seems to have a slight beard and white spots on its back. Its mouth is open and it seems to be trying to swallow a gilt spot in the red background. The image has a gilt frame. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 [Liber de natura rerum], folio 114r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 30

Thomas of Cantimpré (1201-1272) was born in what is now Belgium and studied and worked in various French and German cities. "Liber de natura rerum" was his last scientific book. This image is from a c1280 version. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #liberdenaturarerum

A tonsured monk with bare feet and a loose brown robe is seated holding what is described as an astrolabe with his other hand raised as if he is teaching. He appears to be seated in a stylised garden against a gilt spotted red background. The image is set within a red-cornered blue frame bordered by gilt. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 [Liber de natura rerum], folio 192r.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 29

"Liber de natura rerum" by Thomas of Cantimpré (1201-1272) is a frequently referenced source for medieval beasts. It is a scientific encyclopaedia written from 1225 to 1240. The earliest known surviving version is from 1250 and is not illustrated. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts

Manuscript page of gothic-style text in two columns with two blue and one red decorated capital "S" as well as occasional red-lettered words. There are much later pencilled notes at the top and bottom on the right. Image from "De Natura Rerum" (https://archive.org/details/ljs23/page/n29/mode/2up).

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 28

Our prompt today is a historical photo from 1895. What story do these ladies have to tell? #writingprompts #writinglife #writingtips #football

Old black and white photo with five women standing behind six seated women with a round leather ball on the ground placed in the middle of the seated women. Five of the seated women are wearing dark knee-length breeches while the sixth seated women (on the far left) is wearing a knee-length skirt. All six are wearing heavily ribbed stockings/leg guards with straps at the ankles and just below the knees as well as heavy laced boots. They are wearing long-sleeved, loose tops, three with white collars, two with dark collars and one without a collar. Three of the seated women have central white stripes down their tops as do four of the women behind them. The women behind them are also wearing loose long-sleeved tops. The standing woman on the far right appears to be wearing a full-length dark dress with puffed sleeves. There is a brick fence and brick building behind them. None of the women are smiling. Image from Wikimedia Commons, photographer unknown.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 27

"The Tinder Box" by M R Carey is a dark fairy tale featuring a witch, a former soldier and the sudden appearance of a magical artefact able to grant wishes and change the fate of nations. #bookrecommendations #tbrlist #thetinderbox #mrcarey #fantasy #darkfairytales

Book cover showing an open box holding a castle engulfed in flames with a potion bottle and a candle on either side surrounded by leaves.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 26

Jumble Publishing and Editing (jumblepublishing.com) can help with your editing and self-publishing so you can get your book into readers' hands. Image: Ramsay Richard Reinagle (1775–1862) #jumblepublishing #publishing #selfpublishing #editing #artworks #ramsayrichardreinagle

Young boy with long brown hair wearing an open brown jacket with large buttons on cuffs and breasts over a paler coloured waistcoat with a wide ruffled lace collar over both is reading an open large book intently on a wooden bench set against a sepia-coloured wall. Image by Ramsay Richard Reinagle (1775–1862) from Wikimedia Commons.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 25

Our final medieval tranes is from another version of "Der Naturen Bloeme", this one dated 1300-1325. This one makes me think of a small terrier wearing a headscarf more than a helmeted rabbit. #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #tranes

A greyish-green dog-like animal wearing a conical shaped helmet like a headscarf. The beast is shown standing on its hind legs with its front legs raised. It has a short tail with an upward curl and seems to have a small beard. The colour wash over it looks very slapdash as it extends beyond the outline of the animal and doesn't cover all its limbs or the scarf. It looks more like a small fuzzy dog in a headscarf more than a rabbit wearing a helmet. Image from British Library, Additional MS 11390 [Der Naturen Bloeme], folio 25v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 24

Despite being described as basically a helmeted rabbit, this particular medieval tranes appears to have cloven hooves as well as a dog-like body and head. It is from a c1350 version of "Der Naturen Bloeme". #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #tranes

Stepping carefully towards the left, a red-brown dog-like beast with white markings on the throat and over the ribs, with cloven-like hooves wears a round grey helmet which seems to float slightly above its head. The beast has a dog-like snout. It is shown on a gilt background with stylised trees and grass around it. The illustration is set within a white decorated red and blue frame with gilt corners. Image from Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB, KA 16 [Der Naturen Bloeme], folio 70v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 23

As an Australian, this particular medieval tranes immediately makes me think of Ned Kelly and his home-made armour. This image is from a 13th century version of "Liber de natura rerum". #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #tranes

An extended brown rabbit-like beast with long pointed ears at the base of its head which is shown as a very upright, angular, red helmet. The helmet appears to have joins and there is an eye within a rectangular lozenge. It looks like Ned Kelly's helmet. The beast seems to be running toward the right and is shown on a dark blue background with a couple of large gilt dots. The illustration is set within a gilt frame. Image from Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320 [Liber de natura rerum], folio 79v.

Flustered Duck@flusteredduck· Jun 22

This week's medieval beast is the tranes which is described as being like a rabbit but with a natural helmet on its head which makes it stronger and fiercer. This tranes is from a c1287 version of "Der Naturen Bloeme". #medievalmanuscripts #medievalbeasts #beasts #tranes