The Great Chain of Being Medieval metaphor illustrating

The Great Chain of Being Medieval metaphor illustrating hierarchy of being from God to the lowliest non-being Chain stretched from foot of God’s throne to the tiniest particle of sand: a place for everything, and everything in its place

Hierarchy Top of chain represents perfection—God, according to Medieval Christian thinking Every living and unliving thing had its place, its role and its “natural” way of being

Angels Just below God Had reason and spirit, but no body With no body, did not die Could fall by free will (so the devil was a fallen angel)

Humanity in the Hierarchy Just below the angels Could aspire to greater perfection (angelic or god-like) Had reason in common with angels Had body (mortality), unlike angels; had feeling, understanding Could fall to the level of beast (free will)

Higher Sensitive Class Below human (no reason; no soul) Hierarchy within each subset: Highest mammal? Highest fish? Highest bird?

Lower Sensitive class Have life and feeling Creatures having touch but no feeling or memory (parasites or shellfish, for example) Creatures having movement but not hearing, such as ants

Vegetative Class Existence and life, but no feeling, understanding, movement

Inanimate Elements, liquids and metals No sensation, but durable for centuries Water higher than earth Four elements: earth, air, fire, water

Order and Chaos So long as every member of every class followed its specialty, stayed within its realm, order reigned in a sort of cosmic dance Which being would violate this order, do you suppose?

Disruption Once man disrupted the order through sin or crime… This unnatural disturbance shook the chain and disrupted every other class, especially if the human was high in his class (king or prince)

In the Meantime Chaos-disordercorruption is reflected in all other realms (spirits wandering; corruption; madness) Order must be restored Truth must be revealed

William was sure to include Haley’s Comet in the Bayeux Tapestry to show that Harold had disrupted the chain of being.