Gold mine of cheeky medieval doodles show ancestors just as silly as us

“It’s amazing to think that people doodled in medieval times in a similar way to how they doodle today,” says Dr Erik Kwakkel, a book historian at Leiden University, Holland.

“When you see the monks expressing their personalities, their sense of humor, it makes you feel like you’re traveling back through time. It’s like you’re going through the keyhole and sitting right next to them.”

Indeed, that dog would not be out of place in The Simpsons.

READ: The spacesuit inspired by medieval armor

‘Medieval eye candy’

Dr Kwakkel is making an unlikely name for himself on the internet by posting “medieval eye candy” that he comes across during the course of his research.

One, dated 31 May 1486, was a note to a servant. “Could you please get me some wild roses, but make sure to include some that are still in bud,” it says.

“That was breathtaking,” says Dr Kwakkel. “It was so casual and romantic. It as if it had been written just yesterday.”

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CNN