Textual and Visual Environment in the Middle Ages: Bird Species and Images in Armenian Church Decoration

Rich sculpture decorations of Armenian medieval churches include diverse images of birds. The tradition of depicting images of birds on the exterior decoration of churches originated in the early Christian period, but developed significantly in the Middle Ages, expanding iconographic programmes through the elaborating new motifs and scenes. In parallel, the range of the depicted bird “species” also became increasingly diverse. Undoubtedly, beyond iconographic sources, these images have their naturalistic archetypes. However, common Christian texts, mainly patristic writings, played an important role in the development of bird motifs, resulting in expanding the range of images and “species”. Treatises on Natural history extended medieval knowledge of nature, which led to a more careful consideration of both the real and imaginary environments. Building the imagery of the surrounding world, the medieval Christian mind created a textual and visual harmonious environment, which was comprehensive and meaningful to believers.