With God, the Gospels tell us, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26 etc.). To the medieval mind, the realm of possibility included Latin-speaking animals, who pronounced the arrival of the baby Jesus on Christmas day. In the Middle Ages, special masses featured choristers portraying animals gifted—if only for a day—with the power of human speech. This legend is thought to have sprung from the mind of the fourth-century hymn writer Prudentius, who composed a poem on the subject. Twentieth-century British artist John Piper has captured such an event in stained glass for the Church of St. Mary’s in Iffley, […]
