From John of Worcester’s Chronicle

In this wonderful illuminated manuscript we can see the visions or nightmares of Henry Ist. This illustration is in a section of the chronicle for the year 1131. The text itself was composed afterwards and then revised later (1140-1141).

In this series of depictions King Henry Ist (reigned 1100-1135) is confronted in his sleep by the different types of people who made up his kingdom. These were the ‘orders of society.’ In the social arrangement of societies in the Middle Ages people belonged to a certain level of society, a group or ‘order’ from which they never moved. Any idea of ‘levelling up’ or ‘levelling down’ would have been regarded with horror. These orders were – from low to high –  ‘rustici’ (villagers, peasants, serfs) ‘ milites’ (soldiers, knights, liegemen) and ‘clerici’ (clerks, monks, priests etc). Basically, society was composed of men to pray, men to fight and men to work the land. Women’s social standing derived from their male relations.

In the pictures the king is sleeping in a rather decorative bed and is challenged in turn by the workers, then the knights, then finally the clerics. Each group has a number of complaints which are brought vigorously to the king. 

The last picture shows the king caught in a stormy sea-crossing where, in fear of death, he vows to take steps to reduce taxes, to go on a pilgrimage and institute good government throughout the realm.