Monstrosity
Devils and monstrosity were considered “borderline” in the Middle Ages, explaining their placement on the far left.[1] The relation of the devils to the other humans in the panel is what makes them “monstrous”.[2] The devils were intended to catch the viewers’ attention by contrasting them with the naked and holy Martyrs on the right. By drawing attention to the action of the devils, this would have inclined the viewer to acknowledge the atrocity of what Lampadius did and emphasize the holiness of the Martyrs.
The two devils are depicted in the typical style of the Gothic period which combined elements of both human and animal characteristics of horns, beaks, fur, and claws.[3] The devils were used to reinforce good and evil and illustrate justice. Roman law, which was supposed to bring justice, was wrong and divine intervention took over to carry out proper justice.
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1. Bettina Bildhauer, "Blood, Jews and Monsters in Medieval Culture," The Monstrous Middle Ages, ed. Bettina Bildhauer and Robert Mills (University of Toronto Press, 2003), 76.
2. Bettina Bildhauer, 75.
3. Jeremy Harte, "Hell on Earth: Encountering Devils in Medieval Landscapes," The Monstrous Middle Ages, ed. Bettina Bildhauer and Robert Mills (University of Toronto Press, 2003), 178.