Imagine stumbling upon a centuries-old manuscript and discovering an unexpected visitor had left its mark – a cat’s paw, immortalised in ink. This quirky image, a medieval equivalent of your cat jumping on your keyboard, has captivated social media for over ten years.
One of the great joys for medieval history lovers in recent years has been the digitization of manuscripts. Thousands of medieval manuscripts have been made available online by libraries and archives around the world, allowing the wider public to discover and share their beautiful and unique artwork. With the rapid digitization of thousands of medieval manuscripts, libraries and archives worldwide have unlocked a treasure trove of history, making it easier than ever for scholars and enthusiasts alike to explore these texts from their homes.
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As this interest blossomed, a remarkable discovery was made by PhD student Emir O. Filipovic during his research at the Dubrovnik State Archives. He was exploring a set of registers kept by Dubrovnik’s medieval government – in particular, letters they had sent to merchants and envoys. He came across one that was dated March 11th, 1445 – it was going to nobles and merchants in Kosovo to inquire about silver being mined in the region and how they were dealing with the rulers of Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. However, Emir found something else that caught his eye!
Photos courtesy Emir O. Filipovic
The photo he took reveals five prints from a cat’s paw spread across two pages. One can easily imagine how they might have gotten there – the scribe’s cat perhaps had dipped its paw or paws into some ink and then jumped on the manuscript. Before the scribe could chase the cat away, it had already left its mark – literally. With no way to undo the ink paw prints, the scribe had no choice but to let the ink dry and move on to the next page. Hopefully, neither he nor the cat got into trouble for it.
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Emir took a few photos of the page, only thinking that he might share them with some colleagues as an amusing anecdote of his research. Then in September of 2012, he spotted a tweet about medieval cats from historian Erik Kwakkel, and he replied with his image:
@erik_kwakkel Speaking of cats, this is definitely the mark of one angry feline in the State Archives of Dubrovnik. pic.twitter.com/v1GpVTJR
While the tweet got a positive response and a strong number of likes, it would not go viral for another four months. It was only when a veterinarian with a large following on Facebook reposted it that the image began amassing tens of thousands of likes and shares.
“I was very much surprised with the initial attention and I did not expect it at all,” recalls Filipovic, who is now a Professor of Medieval History at the University of Sarajevo. “The social media side was overwhelming as the photo got featured and shared on all possible platforms, but I was also impressed by the fact that the story and image were covered by National Geographic, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atlantic, NPR, among others, as well as by some other well-known national media outlets all around the world in various languages.”
Even though the super popularity of the image only lasted a few weeks, Filipovic still receives inquiries about it and has graciously given his permission for it to be reused in a wide range of publications, from academic works to a book on cat yoga. Looking back on his famous photo, he is pleased with the way people have responded to it:
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“It has proven to be a really enduring image of the very fruitful relationship between medieval studies, cats, and the Internet. I am happy to have contributed to these three things coming together in this way, and I hope that the photo will continue to appear on social media for many years to come.”
Filipovic’s viral photo remains a testament to the enduring charm of medieval studies, bridging the centuries through a simple, yet unforgettable, image. This cat’s paw print has united history, internet culture, and the universal love of felines, continuing to spark curiosity and smiles across generations.
Photos courtesy Emir O. Filipovic
You can see more of Emir O. Filipovic’s photos on his Flickr page. You can learn more about his research on his Academia.edu page.
Imagine stumbling upon a centuries-old manuscript and discovering an unexpected visitor had left its mark – a cat’s paw, immortalised in ink. This quirky image, a medieval equivalent of your cat jumping on your keyboard, has captivated social media for over ten years.
One of the great joys for medieval history lovers in recent years has been the digitization of manuscripts. Thousands of medieval manuscripts have been made available online by libraries and archives around the world, allowing the wider public to discover and share their beautiful and unique artwork. With the rapid digitization of thousands of medieval manuscripts, libraries and archives worldwide have unlocked a treasure trove of history, making it easier than ever for scholars and enthusiasts alike to explore these texts from their homes.
As this interest blossomed, a remarkable discovery was made by PhD student Emir O. Filipovic during his research at the Dubrovnik State Archives. He was exploring a set of registers kept by Dubrovnik’s medieval government – in particular, letters they had sent to merchants and envoys. He came across one that was dated March 11th, 1445 – it was going to nobles and merchants in Kosovo to inquire about silver being mined in the region and how they were dealing with the rulers of Serbia and the Ottoman Empire. However, Emir found something else that caught his eye!
The photo he took reveals five prints from a cat’s paw spread across two pages. One can easily imagine how they might have gotten there – the scribe’s cat perhaps had dipped its paw or paws into some ink and then jumped on the manuscript. Before the scribe could chase the cat away, it had already left its mark – literally. With no way to undo the ink paw prints, the scribe had no choice but to let the ink dry and move on to the next page. Hopefully, neither he nor the cat got into trouble for it.
Emir took a few photos of the page, only thinking that he might share them with some colleagues as an amusing anecdote of his research. Then in September of 2012, he spotted a tweet about medieval cats from historian Erik Kwakkel, and he replied with his image:
While the tweet got a positive response and a strong number of likes, it would not go viral for another four months. It was only when a veterinarian with a large following on Facebook reposted it that the image began amassing tens of thousands of likes and shares.
“I was very much surprised with the initial attention and I did not expect it at all,” recalls Filipovic, who is now a Professor of Medieval History at the University of Sarajevo. “The social media side was overwhelming as the photo got featured and shared on all possible platforms, but I was also impressed by the fact that the story and image were covered by National Geographic, The Guardian, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atlantic, NPR, among others, as well as by some other well-known national media outlets all around the world in various languages.”
Even though the super popularity of the image only lasted a few weeks, Filipovic still receives inquiries about it and has graciously given his permission for it to be reused in a wide range of publications, from academic works to a book on cat yoga. Looking back on his famous photo, he is pleased with the way people have responded to it:
“It has proven to be a really enduring image of the very fruitful relationship between medieval studies, cats, and the Internet. I am happy to have contributed to these three things coming together in this way, and I hope that the photo will continue to appear on social media for many years to come.”
Filipovic’s viral photo remains a testament to the enduring charm of medieval studies, bridging the centuries through a simple, yet unforgettable, image. This cat’s paw print has united history, internet culture, and the universal love of felines, continuing to spark curiosity and smiles across generations.
You can see more of Emir O. Filipovic’s photos on his Flickr page. You can learn more about his research on his Academia.edu page.
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