Samson Rending the Lion

The biblical hero Samson appears here as a fantastical medieval courtier, proving his courage and strength by slaying a lion with his bare hands. Viewers familiar with Samson’s story would have identified the courtly maiden as the woman of Timnah, a heathen who marries Samson, but betrays him during their wedding. The idea that even history’s greatest men succumbed to the power of women was a popular one in early prints.