THE MEDIEVAL CHILDBIRTH PAINTING OF THE C ODEX VINDOBONENSIS 93, FOL 102R, ILLUSTRATING A MAGIC PRESCRIPTION OF HERBA CORIANDRI, IN THE AUSTRIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY

One of the most impressive manuscript illustrations of the medieval hi story of midwifery is found in the Codex Vindobonensis 93, fol. 102r ( a manuscript from the early 13th century), illustrating a magic prescr iption of herba coriandrum to accelerate childbirth. The composition o f the omnibus manuscript is critically delineated in its historical co ntext. The illustration, being isolated without any obstetrical teachi ng text, is judged as part of the ancient tradition of teaching by ima ges which has no parallel north of the Alps. The different image tradi tions are reflected in the historical use and illustration of the midw ifery chair, which can be traced back only to the beginning of the 16t h century in Central Europe and on the British Isles. The importance o f the magic prescription is shown by comparison within the same and ot her collections used in the Middle Ages and classified in the context of further traditions of magic in midwifery.