Historical Background and "How-To" Projects in Paleography, Papyrology, and Codicology
This section will discuss uncial and half-uncial (also can be referred to as semi-uncial) lettering regarding Latin Palaeography as well as provide a guide on how to write each letter. ...continue reading "Uncial / Half-Uncial (Historical Background and How To)"
For much of antiquity, the scroll was the fundamental unit of literary transmission.
The Greeks and Romans used scrolls from the introduction of writing in around the 8th-6th centuries all the way through approximately the 4th century when they moved on to the codex.
Consequently, a great way to explore the culture and practices surrounding the ancient literary world is to create one for yourself!
Single Quire Codex
What is a codex? A codex is essentially an ancient book, consisting of one or more quires of sheets of papyrus or parchment folded together to form a group of leaves, or pages. This form of the book was not widely used in the ancient world until around the second century AD, when it slowly but steadily began to replace the traditional book form, the papyrus roll. Click the link below for more info!
http://www.lib.umich.edu/reading/Paul/codex.html
What is a quire? A quire is typically defined as four sheets of paper or parchment folded to form eight leaves, as in medieval manuscripts, any collection of leaves one within another in a manuscript or book, or more specifically 25 (formerly 24) sheets of paper; one twentieth of a ream. That being said, it varies. In the early days you could have 2 or 20; later on 4 becomes the standard.
Read more about the components of a codex and more here!
http://www.encasedinsteel.co.uk/2012/03/23/folia-quires-codices-and-manuscripts-what-are-they/
Background of the Codex: A codex (Latin for block of wood, book; plural codices) is a book in the format used for modern books, with separate pages normally bound together and given a cover. Although the modern book is technically a codex, the term is used only for manuscripts. The codex was a Roman invention that replaced the scroll, ...continue reading "Single Quire Codex"
As medieval codices were often very complex and elaborate works of art, it was necessary for scribes and their assistants to carefully plan the layout of each page before they began their work. Scribes therefore turned to a practice of pricking and ruling to ensure that each line of text was properly located to create a beautiful and coherent finished product. Pricking and ruling allowed scribes to create an organized template for their text before they began to write. Scribes completed this task by puncturing the parchment in designated locations and drawing lines, either with a pencil or with a blunt object, to demarcate the locations of the lines and columns. The scribes then made small holes on the edges of the parchment with sharp tool at carefully measured intervals so that the markings would be carried through onto subsequent pages. Should the scribe choose to create lines through dry ruling, the lines would carry through onto each page of the codex, though if they used a pencil they would be required to mark each page individually.
Prior to viewing how the specific scripts are written, it is important to familiarize yourself with their history. Rustic capitals were used for copying and writing literary works. The individual letters in rustic capitals are easier to read than new and old roman cursive, however the script is written in scriptio continua, meaning there is no spacing between the words. The cursive forms were used mainly in every day life situations such as shops and letters. Old roman cursive was a popular script between the 1st century BCE to the third century CE. It can be found mostly on wax tablets, graffiti, and other various inscriptions. The new roman cursive was popular between the 3rd and 10th century.
For more historical background on these different types of scripts, please follow the link below!
In my tutorial, I did not use a reed pen because I thought it was easier to see using this writing utensil. A reed pen is encouraged when writing in these scripts. Below, you will see images in all three of these different scripts. Notice the variance as well as the similarities between them and how script evolved through the centuries!
Is there one thing you cannot survive without? A teddy bear, phone, or even your BFF. Well, this type of dependent relationship, noted above, exists between the writing surface and the writing instrument. One has no purpose without the other. The very existence of literature depends on this "friendship' between paper and pen. I say this very loosely due to the fact that our paper and pen wasn’t, in fact, the paper and pen of antiquity to the dark ages. What did they use then?
...continue reading "The Writing Instrument ( The Reed and Quill) and Ink"
In the following post, I will discuss papyrus and its function in the history of writing and documentation. I will first explain the general history of the material, followed by a brief explanation of how we now believe rolls of papyrus were constructed. Lastly, I will describe my experiences with papyrus in order to provide my insight into its quality as a writing surface. This piece serves to highlight the role of papyrus in the development of writing, documentation, and literature as we now know it.
After checking out Kendall Piccollo's post on the history and background of the Caroline (also called Carolingian) Minuscule script (found under the "Historical Background" section here: https://sites.dartmouth.edu/ancientbooks/2016/05/24/carolingian-miniscule/), you may be interested in the finer points on how to write the letters and how to properly produce the text. In this post, I will provide a few tips and tricks through images and videos on how to write Caroline Minuscule. ...continue reading "How to Write Caroline (Carolingian) Minuscule"
After looking at all of the cool projects on this website, you may want to create a book of your own. This guide is here to help. We'll show you have to make a codex with a Coptic binding.
We will be creating a codex with multiple quires.
If you want to start with a simpler project, you can check out how to make a single quire codex here: Single-quire-codex
In the words of scholars Roberts and Skeat, “parchment of good quality is the finest writing material ever devised by man” (1987), and it has played an instrumental role in book production through centuries. Read on and watch the video at the bottom of this page to understand its unique qualities and history. ...continue reading "Parchment"
