Codex Gigas: this book is called the work of the Devil's hands
In the early XIII century, in the very heart of medieval Europe, within the walls of the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia, a book was created that astonishes the imagination. Codex Gigas is what it is called — it is not just a manuscript, but a massive codex weighing almost 75 kilograms. To lift and move this volume, two people are required. Its dimensions are comparable to those of a small coffee table: 92 centimeters in height and 50 in width. The making of this monster, consisting of 310 leaves, consumed more than 160 donkey skins, and the total parchment area is almost 143 square meters.
creation is shrouded in a dark legend. According to it, a monk named Herman broke his strict vows and was sentenced to a terrible punishment — he was to be walled up alive. In a desperate attempt to save his life, he promised the abbot to create, in one night, a book containing all human knowledge. After midnight, realizing he had promised the impossible, the monk called upon Lucifer for help. The Devil, in exchange for his soul, helped him finish the titanic work before dawn, and in gratitude, on page 577 the impious monk drew Satan in full length, with a green face, a forked tongue, and blood‑stained sharp claws. This portrait, in particular, gave the Codex Gigas another name — the Devil's Bible.
The content of the book is as monumental as its appearance. It is a
true encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. The first half contains the complete
text of the Latin Bible, followed by the historical works of Josephus Flavius,
medical treatises, chronicles of Bohemia, and even spells for exorcism.
On one spread with the portrait of Satan there is an illustration of the Heavenly
City — Paradise, presented as numerous rows of white buildings,
for some reason devoid of any signs of life. These illustrations are
the only full‑page drawings in the Codex Gigas.
Modern researchers, having studied the scribe's hand, arrived at a staggering conclusion: this entire colossal work was indeed created by a single person. Calculations show that if he had worked on the manuscript six
hours a day, it would have taken at least five years to complete, and with a less intense schedule of three hours a day (more likely for a monk who also had to perform duties) — about ten years. Considering the preparation of materials and creation of illustrations, the realistic timeframe could have stretched to 20–30 years.
written in a short period of time, as if the author's hand was guided
not by himself, but by an otherworldly force fulfilling the terms of that very blasphemous pact.
