What can we work out about
medieval life from the Doom
paintings that survive in churches
today?
Medieval church-hell of a place
• Step back nearly a
thousand years into a
medieval church.
• Look at the wall - at the
same painting
medieval people would
have looked at.
• What does it tell us
about medieval
people’s lives, their
thoughts, their fears?!
This mural, called a 'Doom' painting, was produced some time before 1200 A.D.
Its full name is the “Ladder of the Salvation of the Human Soul and Road to Heaven”.
But what does it mean? Why was it
painted there? You’ll now find out for
yourself !
1
2
3
6
4
5
7
Let’s take it bit by bit
What I worked out about this Medieval doom painting
Clues
• Some people shown are murderers, though its hard to
work this out.
• Some are money lenders. Think about what the money
might be in?
• Some are rogue traders, you can see some of their tools.
• St Michael is one of the principal angels: his name was
said to have been the war-cry of the angels in the battle
fought in heaven against Satan and his followers. His job
was to bring men's souls to judgment, hence the scales.
• Those unworthy of Heaven are painted on the other side
of the painting. Sometimes they have chains around
them to pull them into Hell.
1
1
• In the top left-hand section, good and bad
deeds are being weighed in the balance. A
devil has crept up from the left (look at
those feet!!) and has his hand on the scale
(that can’t be fair, surely!).
2
2
• In this picture angels help people up the
ladder to heaven.
3
3
• At the top right, a devil (or possibly the
devil?) is being pinned down with a cross
and thrust into a fire (that’s more like it) or
possibly the wide open jaws of some vast
beast.
4
4
• In the bottom left-hand section of the
painting, two devils (all shown as giant
figures) are throwing murderers into a
boiling cauldron.
5
5
• To their right, another devil is pulling
people off the ladder of salvation (surely
that’s not allowed, is it?).
6
6
• On the far right is a demon, giving a good
idea of how terrible Hell was thought to
have been. Then the different tradesmen
with some of their tools make their way
across the bridge. On the far left a
milkman is getting on to the bridge; his
punishment is to carry a brimming pail of
milk. Next to him are a mason, potter,
spinner and blacksmith. All of them are
missing part of their essential tools.
7
7
• One man has already fallen down and is
being roasted underneath on a big fire,
while being held by two devils with long
spears. He was in fact a money lender.
• The full name of the whole thing is “The
Ladder of the Salvation of the Human Soul
and the Road to Heaven”. It is believed to
have been painted by a monk some time
before 1200.
Why were Doom paintings produced ?
Dooms were used to remind medieval Christians of the
afterlife and Judgment Day, and to help keep them
mindful
of sinning by showing in graphic detail the
•
dramatic difference between Heaven and Hell.
A Doom was usually sited at the front (Chancel end) of a
church, often on the Chancel arch itself, so that it would
be constantly in view of worshippers as they looked
towards the Priest during services. This was a very
effective method of control of the illiterate mass who
could not read the Latin Bible or understand the Latin
the Priest was preaching.
Now your turn
• Doom paintings consisted of ….
See if you can find 10 images that
you think tell us it is a doom
painting.
Start with 2 easy ones beginning
with H.
A
B
Great Harrowden
(‡Peterborough)
C
Rotherfield, E. Sussex
(‡Chichester
D
The Doom, South Leigh,
Oxfordshire
E
F
Doom painted on boards,
Wenhaston, Suffolk
G
'Frying Tonight'
The Devil bastes the poor soul
turning on the spit, another bleak
warning to the congregation at All
Saints, Broughton , nr.Cambridge
H
• Now lets look at what the experts say. I
have colour coded 12 of their ideas, but
you may find more. If you get an original
one of your own, and we all agree, then
you get 2 points for it: otherwise its 1 point
per ‘good spot’.
• Although there are many different versions of the theme,
the theme's format stays broadly the same. On one side
of a Doom painting is Heaven, whilst on the other is
Hell. At the top of the image sits Jesus Christ in glory
with His hands raised in judgment. Typically flanking Him
is Mary the Mother of Jesus on one side and the angels
are blowing their trumpets to raise the dead for
judgment. Commonly the Archangel Michael is
depicted in the centre, with the scales he will use to
weigh the souls of humanity to see if individually they
are fit for Heaven: one person is on one side of the scale
while demonic creatures that represent the sins
committed by the person are on the other side of the
scale. The creatures are trying to tip the scales in their
favour while, in some versions of the painting,.
• Those who are unworthy of Heaven are depicted
on the other side of the painting being seized by
demons bringing them into the mouth of Hell,
beyond which (albeit out of sight) lie the bowels
of Hell where endless pain and torment await
them. The mouth of Hell is usually represented
by a huge reptilian monster with its fiery mouth
open wide to receive the damned as they are
being forced into it. In some cases the demons
have chains tied around the Damned who are
helplessly being pulled in, while in others the
Damned are being dragged or carried in..
• Those who are worthy of Heaven are brought to the
gates of Heaven, frequently represented by a castle
with large walls built to keep out sinful impurities.
This is most commonly depicted on the left hand
side of Doom paintings. Groups of angels adorn the
walls of Heaven celebrating the welcome possession
of the Saved as they make their way to Heaven's
gates where, waiting by the entrance, is The Apostle
Peter who has a key he uses to open up the gates of
Heaven for the Saved to come in and enjoy eternal
rest and happiness and to be in God's presence
forever.