People Noticed How Ugly Medieval Animal Paintings Are, And It’s Too Funny (80 Pics)


The Middle Ages aren’t just about heroic knights and epic battles. If there’s one thing that never fails to boost our mood, it’s medieval art! It’s colorful, creative, quirky, and goofy, and it showcases how the artists had to use every ounce of their imagination and stylistic skills to draw animals and monsters they may or may not have seen with their own two eyes. The results? Often incredibly bizarre but undeniably entertaining.

Our team at Bored Panda has collected some of the finest specimens of peculiar medieval art from every nook and cranny on the internet. We’ve found some of the strangest renditions of real animals and mythical creatures to confuse and amuse you, Pandas, so scroll down to check them out.


#1 Pigs vs. Elephants, France, 1420-1425


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#2 My Favorite Picture I Took At The Louvre. I Call It "Freaked Out Lion Is Getting His Nails Done"


Image credits: henryrollinsismypup


#3 Medieval Garfield Looking For Lasagna


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


The medieval era started in the 5th Century with the collapse of Roman civilization, lasting all the way to the Renaissance. When exactly the Middle Ages ended varies depending on what historian you talk to.


The Encyclopædia Britannica notes that some researchers see the Renaissance period starting in the 13th century, while others argue that it began in the 14th or even 15th centuries.


#4 Seems Like Lions Had More Character Back In The Day


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#5 A Snail By Jacob Van Maerlant


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#6 Lion, France, 15th Century


Image credits: discarding_imgs


Broadly speaking, the things that defined the end of the Middle Ages included the breakup of feudal structures, the rise of secular education, the strengthening of city-states in Italy, as well as the rise of national monarchies in England, France, and Spain. The Renaissance looked all the way back to the Classical age for inspiration.


#7 A Whale, 13th Century


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#8 These Breathtaking Horses


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#9 Medieval Boar With Pants


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


One of the most widely known social media projects that features wonky medieval illustrations is ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ (@WeirdMedieval), a fantastic account on X (formerly Twitter) that shares peculiar-looking medieval illustrations. The project has gotten so popular over the years that there’s even a podcast and a book out.


The person behind the ingenious ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ account is Olivia M. Swarthout (@tochterzwiebel). She started the project back in 2019. In the 5 years since its inception, the account has grown by leaps and bounds.


In mid-2022, it boasted just shy of 100k followers on X (still Twitter back then). However, now, in 2024, a jaw-dropping 678k people from all around the world now follow it on the social network.


#10 Looks Like A Demon. Kind Of Like Cats Are Now


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#11 A Dog Riding A Bunny Spear-Fighting A Bunny Who Is Riding A Snail With The Head Of Rick Rubin


Image credits: Familiar_Big3322


#12 Looks Like Pug Dog


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


As word about the ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ internet sensation spread, the creator started a podcast by the same name together with Aran, a historian.


The founder of the project, Olivia, even published a book in late 2023, titled ‘Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times.’


#13 He Looks So Careless


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#14 This Beaver With A Fish Tail


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#15 At Least They Tried To Depict A Frog


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


Olivia, who created ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ half a decade ago, previously told Bored Panda all about the project and the inspiration behind it. She shared that she did some graphic design for a magazine at her university. In one issue, she used a lot of medieval imagery.


“I spent a lot of time online looking for images from medieval manuscripts to incorporate into the project, and I was amazed at the works that I found. Not just the art itself, but also the extent to which these priceless, one-of-a-kind manuscripts and documents have been digitized and cataloged online for anyone across the world to browse,” she told us during an earlier interview.


#16 Someone Getting An Elephant Shrew Described To Them?


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#17 Love Depictions Of Lions From Countries That Clearly Don't Have Lions


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#18 Medieval Paintings Of Cats Are Weird


Image credits: PuggoKing97


Olivia explained that accessing these sorts of medieval works of art from centuries ago is easy these days. In the past, however, it would have been incredibly difficult to do. She wanted to share some of the enjoyment she felt with everyone else.


“Because I found so many pieces that I thought were extremely funny and endearing and could only send so many of them to my friends before they got sick of me, I also liked the idea that I could connect with other people online about how cool the art is,” she said.


#19 That Owl Is Trying His Best


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#20 Adorable Bats


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#21 Hare Riding A Hound With A Trained Snail Of Prey, Before 1390


Image credits: innuendoPL


Of course, ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ is far from the only project to bring weird medieval art into the spotlight. This sort of content has been incredibly popular on social media for many years now. There are tons of accounts and projects dedicated to showcasing the strangest works of art from the Middle Ages. However, not many of them are as successful as Olivia’s account on X.


“Most of what I post is from the eras that are referred to as the High Middle Ages and Late Middle Ages, which encompass approximately the 11th to the 16th century. I do think that this period of time is very unique from a Western art historical standpoint because the printing press had not yet been invented, so all books were written out by hand and often included notes and doodles that were added in spontaneously by scribes who never thought these additions would be seen by the general public,” the founder of the project told us earlier.


“Therefore, we have a huge amount of content from this era that reflects the humor and thoughts of (somewhat) average people. And when we look at what they created, we actually find that a lot of it contradicts how we view the 'Dark' Ages.”


#22 Wild Cats In 15th Century, France


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#23 Elephants In Late 13th Century


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#24 Medieval Oyster


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


“There’s a perception that the Middle Ages was a very solemn, bleak era for humanity, and nowadays, we perceive medieval culture as extremely religious, superstitious, backward, and repressive. Much of the art that was created in that period has a reputation for being strange and ugly. So, we don’t expect to see ourselves in it, not in the same way that we can relate very emotionally to more conventionally beautiful art,” the founder said.


“When we look at, say, a drawing of a cat playing an organ, it’s easy to imagine it being endearing to its creator 600 years ago in the same way it is today, that it brought people the same kind of joy then as it does now. And I think we as humans enjoy how art and humor bridge that gap,” she told us.


“One of my personal guiding principles of internet use is that, often, you get back out what you put in, so I think by trying to keep the account pretty lighthearted and wholesome, I’ve attracted very kind-hearted feedback.”


#25 Why Do Medieval Cats Look Like Fully Grown Adults?


Image credits: JustzaneYT


#26 Cats' Life During Medieval Times


Image credits: reddit.com


#27 Medieval Frog


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


According to Olivia, lots of internet users seem to identify very much with the animals and monsters that she posts. “I love scrolling through everyone’s comments about who a creature is or what they’re doing. Even though I’m just a third party facilitating interaction with other people’s art, a lot of followers have left extremely sweet messages saying that my account brightens their day and that they look forward to my posts,” she said.


Among some of her followers are actual medieval art and history researchers, which just goes to show how successful ‘Weird Medieval Guys’ has gotten. “There are people of all ages and from around the world whose comments I luckily get to read and understand due to the magic of internet translation.”


She added: “I’m so glad that even though what I post is pretty silly, and I’m not an authority on medieval art whatsoever, so many different people are able to come together over my account! I’m really thankful for everyone who’s supported me, and I have so many more weird medieval guys that I can’t wait to share.


#28 If The Bear Is Brown, Lay Down. If It's Black, Fight Back. If It's White, Goodnight. And If It's Medieval, Climb The Smallest Tree Available, Totally Naked


Image credits: LeedsDogAndJacobiCat


#29 An Elephant Protecting Her Baby From A Dragon, 14th Century


Image credits: red_loeb


#30 The Best Depiction Of Ants


Image credits: archaeologyart


Which of these medieval illustrations did you like the most? Which ones made you smile and giggle the hardest?


Do you think you’d be able to do a better job at painting these creatures if you were suddenly transported back in time? What do you like the most about the Middle Ages? We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!


#31 Lion, England, 1390-1460


Image credits: GawkyLions


#32 Weird Medieval Bat


Image credits: kantun_15


#33 The King Sits On The Top Left As His Horse Protects Him From A Lion, 1486


Image credits: medievalmaven


#34 The Text On The Man’s Arm Reads: “The Sun’s Disk Went Into Darkness, Yunus Went Into The Mouth Of The Fish.” Around 1400


Image credits: _medievalart


#35 Wild Cats, 1485


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#36 Leopard, England, 13th Century


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#37 Lion, Belgium, 14th Century


Image credits: weirdmedievalguys


#38 Owl Fight By Godfrey Of Viterbo, Italy 13th Century


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#39 This Is Supposed To Be A Crocodile


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#40 Lions And Bears In Early 13th Century


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#41 This Elephant With A Tornado Trunk By Jacob Van Maerlant


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#42 This Crocodile With A Cougar Head


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#43 Someone Tried To Paint A Catfish


Image credits: zoruasaurus


#44 Four Rats Rowing A Little Boat In The 14th Century France


Image credits: archaeologyart


#45 Snails On A Ladder. France, Circa 1320


Image credits: Discarding Images


#46 A Big Medieval Cat?


Image credits: ch1l


#47 They Definitely Knew How A Dog Looked Like


Image credits: theb00gieman


#48 This 15th Century Drawing Of A Greyhound Is An Undisputed Masterclass In Stylisation


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#49 From The Cover Of My Medieval Literature Textbook


Image credits: Feyrahel


#50 Medieval Monkeys Being Medieval Bros With A Medieval Kitten


Image credits: QRP1940


#51 Now Those Are Some Nice Bats


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#52 An Illuminated Border From A Manuscript "Book Of Hours" Leaf (15th Century), Containing A Delightful Hybrid Creature That Looks Like A Bird


Image credits: Meepers100


#53 Some Medieval Drawings Of Elephants From A 13th Century French Bestiary


Image credits: Kunstkurator


#54 Looks Like A Cross Between A Cat, Bat And Bee. Where Can I Get One?


Image credits: youdamnskippy


#55 Medieval Depiction Of An Elephant By Artist Who Had Never Actually Seen One


Image credits: barbie_museum


#56 Both The Bird And The Dog Look Terribly Drawn


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#57 That Frog Has Seen Things


Image credits: weirdmedieval


#58 Scorpions Drawn By Someone, Who Never Saw Them In Real Life. 13th Century England


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#59 Snake Party, Spain, 1200


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#60 Giant Snails, France, 1480-1485


Image credits: medievalmarginalia


#61 Eagle-Owl, France, 1280


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#62 Lions, 13th Century


Image credits: medievalmaven


#63 Smiling Wild Boar From Book Of Hours, 15th Century


Image credits: discarding_imgs


#64 A Chorus Line Of Camels


Image credits: BLMedieval


#65 A Hippopotamus By Jacob Van Maerlant


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#66 This Owl With A Human Face


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#67 This Earless Elephant With A Castle On Its Back. By William The Clerk


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#68 This Leopard That's Clearly Distraught Over His Misrepresentation


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#69 A Tiger In 12th Century


Image credits: Youngstown_Mafia


#70 A Medieval Artist's Drawing Of Animals He Had Never Seen. Dolphin, Elephant And Antelope


Image credits: tmartin30


#71 Elephants According To Medieval Artists


Image credits: xenthen


#72 Bees Look Like Tiny Birds Or Bats


Image credits: WeirdMedieval


#73 Preaching To The Diverted. Germany, Hamburg, Before 1381


Image credits: PiersatPenn


#74 Medieval Human Dogs


Image credits: lafondathepoet


#75 I Love The Fact The Medieval Artists Had No Idea What Cats Look Like


Image credits: Red-havoc-


#76 The Manuscript Described This As A Panther


Image credits: EatAndGreet


#77 Medieval Goofy?


Image credits: FleurMacabre


#78 Trying To Depict Tunna In 1577


Image credits: dbeck003


#79 Monkey, Goat And Owl


Image credits: archaeologyart


#80 Ants, France, 1230


Image credits: archaeologyart