Anonymous, Alexander Romance (France: 1290-1300). Manuscript illustration, KB, 78 D47, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, National Library of the Netherlands. Web (Europeana).
“Alexander the Great at the Caucasus Mountains Calling on the Power of the Gods to Wall off Gog and Magog by Moving Two Mountains”
In this medieval illustration we see a famous story that was often told as a fairy tale: Alexander the Great defeating a scary five-headed monster that represents the forces of Gog and Magog. This victory was seen as saving a nation from its predicted end of days. Gog and Magog are symbols from old stories in the Bible and Islamic texts about the end of the world. They were used to warn people, especially children, to behave and stay faithful, or else the world would end. People sometimes used this story to make other nations look bad, especially those that didn’t follow the same beliefs.
This picture mixes true events with fantasy, showing how Alexander was part of the history of the Persian Empire. Some people thought of Alexander as a hero, especially Christians. But others, like the Persians, could also see him as a cruel conqueror. Stories about Alexander often mixed with tales about the end of the world.
Svenja Beierlipp