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35: Hieronymus Bosch • The Hell Panel (The Garden of Earthly Delights Part II)

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What Song Did Bosch Write on This Man's Butt Cheek?

There is a scene to the left of the Prince of Hell which shows a crowd of musicians and music instruments. At the base of this scene, just under the loot, you can see the naked posterior of a man who has music notation inked on his butt cheeks. What song did Bosch write on this man's rear end? And can we play it? Let's get our facts straight. It's important to point out, this is not modern music notation. This is Gregorian music notation, common during the Middle Ages for church music. As far as music historians can tell,this is not a recognizable piece of medieval music. Still, that has not stopped some intrepid music

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