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Consanguinity Chart
From the Etymologies by Isidore of Seville
Prüfening, Germany; ca. 1160–65
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, Clm. 13031
Used to determine degrees of kinship, this chart appears as an illustration to the discussion of family relationships in one of the most revered encyclopedic texts of the Middle Ages. The person from whom all degrees of relationship are measured stands unmarked in the center of the diagram, with direct ancestors and descendants represented along the vertical axis and secondary relationships of aunts, uncles, and cousins presented horizontally. The manuscript—with its stark line drawings—exemplifies the products of the Prüfening scriptorium, which specialized in reference works for the library.
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