michelangelo

[kian]

so i was looking at the religious art of the renaissance and i noticed moses had horns.
http://www.romaturismo.com/operatoriprofessionali/grandi/Img1003.jpg
the only thing i could find out was that it was a mistranslation in the bible.  can anyone shine some light on this for me?

[Daniel Krispin]

From what I know, that's exactly the case. When Moses comes down from the mountain, his face is hidden by a veil. Some translation - I can't recall which - mistranslated the veil for horns. I guess 'veiled' and 'horned' is very similar. Thus we get Moses looking like some Zeus-Ammon Alexander character.

[kian]

i looked around and found this, you never know how accurate things are on the internet, but it looks ligit to me.  http://www.moseshand.com/studies/moses.htm  apparently it was a misunderstanding not a mistranslation, it was kind of like slang the way the words were used. 

[Daniel Krispin]

I can't be sure, but it sounds about right to me.

[Lord J Esq]

I find it astouding that, despite so many centuries of mystification, corruption, and deviation, in modern times we can still recover such specific knowledge of the past, and with such accuracy. Truly a dazzling affirmation of humanity's prowess for getting gum on its shoes.

[Burning Zeppelin]

humanity's prowess for getting gum on its shoes.

Not in Singapore!

Well, what do with the sculptures now? They can't exactly smash them (even though smashing is always the answer to any problem), now can we? We can always...pretend Moses had horns in his head, but who pretends these days? Your neighbours? Your friends? Those fat cats in Washington? Yessiree, but not the general public (assuming your neighbours and friends are something abnormal that denies them from being part of the general public. I don't even have to comment on the fat cats).

I say, we just ignore it. They aren't that noticeable; heck, I didn't even notice it til I was told "LOOK AT HIS FOREHEAD! HE HAS HORNS! HORNS!" But then again, I thought the pictures of Otacon from Metal Gear Solid 4 were people from real life.

[Daniel Krispin]

It's art, an echo of the age in which they were carved. After all, I can bet you that the real prophet didn't look a bit like that, like some European man with a big beard. But it recalls the age in which the art was made, and that's what's important. Because of that, that misinterpretation will be remembered as being a part of that time.

[kian]

the art of any period is going to reflect the age it was created in.  almost all the art was religious at that time, and  not only was it religious, it was anthropomorphic.  i myself am not religious at all, but i find it interesting how religion could inspire all of this work.  i love the artwork of the later renaissance.