A rabbit beheading a man
From the illuminated manuscript Decretals of Gregory IX, Royal 10 E IV, f. 61v. Edited by Raymund of Penyafort/Peñafort, with the glossa ordinaria of Bernard of Parma in the margin. French (Toulouse?), 13th–14th c. The British Library

A bas-de-page scene of a rabbit executing a man, part of a cycle about rabbits appearing in the Decretals of Gregory IX. Such depictions in mediaeval manuscripts often symbolised the 'world turned upside down' where the usual order of things was inverted. The rabbit, typically harmless, becomes the hunter, while the human, once dominant, is reduced to prey. Another interpretation suggests these images portrayed the person as a fool, showing their folly in being overpowered by such an innocent creature. These illustrations played on themes of human arrogance, the fragility of power, and the unpredictability of fate, using absurdity and dark humour to subtly comment on the dangers of underestimating the weak.