Carolingian Fresco

In the New Testament of the Bible, Christ's healing of the sick has a special significance. Above all, to the Christians of the Middle Ages, who rarely could obtain medical help or healing for their acute diseases and chronic pain from mediaeval doctors, these reports of healing often meant comfort and hope.

Since the "average" medieval Christian was not very competent at reading, great importance was attached to representational art as a "translation" of the biblical text for the illiterate. Before all else, the numerous miracles worked by Christ in the approximately three years of his public appearance – especially the healings of the sick – were frequently depicted themes in the art of the Middle Ages. We meet such healing motifs already in depictions from the early Middle Ages (see also the example from Ottonian times in the contribution "The theme of epilepsy in ecclesiastical art (I) within the context of this art series). The fresco shown here originates from the Carolingian period (c. 9^th century) and is found in the chapel of St. Sylvester in Goldbach near Überlingen am Bodensee. It depicts a man, who obviously is not in a position to stand or walk unaided; his limbs are twisted. He is being held by two people, of whom the one on the left, in particular, is attempting to support the "patient's" back with his left arm. In the foreground, accompanied by his disciples, stands Christ (with a round, radiating halo), who is turning his body and gaze towards the ill man with a gesture of blessing. The healing process seems to be crowned with success, because the evil spirit that caused the disease is leaving through the mouth of the sick man, although the fleeing demon is still touching him directly with its claw.

Whether the "patient" actually has epilepsy is not totally free of doubt; the obviously acute disease process, with the patient unable to "stand on his own feet", the twisted limbs and the flight of the disease-causing demon out of the mouth (in the Middle Ages the epilepsy demon was assumed to be the foam produced by the victim during a fit) speak in favour of the fact that here the healing of a "lunatic" (epileptic) is actually being depicted.

The series of paintings in the Goldbach chapel were uncovered at the turn of the 19^th century and have been once again carefully restored in recent years.