Francis, Ewald the Black and Ewald the White

In the middle of the picture we see Saint Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is celebrated on 4 October. After a decadent lifestyle during his adolescence he repented and started to follow the teachings of Christ. Poverty was his greatest virtue. He founded three orders: the minorities or greyfriars, the Poor Clares and the Third Order of Saint Francis (a secular order). Because of his love for animals and nature – he preached to animals as well as people – his feast day was later declared World Animal Day. The other two saints are the brothers Ewald the Black and Ewald the White, named after their hair colour. After a short period of being missionaries, they were tortured. Their relics were brought to Cologne, where they are still venerated on 3 October.

This miniature is one of the few images that show significant damage. This was not done intentionally or the result of intensive use; the opposite page caused the paint to be ripped from the parchment.