Introduction to Medieval Manuscript Studies 1/5

Alphabet: The Story of Writing by Donald Jackson

This week's objectives (for the manuscript studies intro) are as follows:

-    The different meanings of the word “manuscript”, and how it will be understood in the MOOC

-    What an “illuminated manuscript” is

-    The different types of decoration that can be found in medieval manuscripts

-    How the big collections of medieval manuscripts were built

-    Where the medieval manuscripts can be found today

I'll be adding my notes/thoughts to these, hopefully in legible format, as I continue to watch Dr. Sanchez-Prieto's videos.

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Defining "manuscript" for this MOOC:

Manuscripts, especially medieval manuscripts, are invaluable capsules of information.  They can serve as primary source materials for a wide array of scholarship, from literature to history, craft, paper and textiles, economics, etc. 

Dr Sanchez-Prieto has defined manuscript as handwritten texts on "soft" material such as paper and parchment, meant to teach or entertain.  The most familiar form of medieval manuscript, to the modern audience, is the codex.  The codex is one form of book, handwritten, illustrated, and bound.  Examples would be the various Bibles, books of hours, romances, etc. from the Medieval period.  

While all codices are manuscripts, but not all manuscripts are codices.  Manuscripts can also be rolls or scrolls.  The text of the manuscript is the content therein.  Autographs are manuscripts written in the author's own handwriting.

Medieval manuscripts are still relevant today because they were built for the ages.  Dr Sanchez-Prieto states that they are the largest set of medieval artifacts - no surprise given the care and reverence that went into the construction.  Each manuscript is unique, due to the fact they were copied by hand, and so even in editions, small changes and mistakes can be tracked.  Finally, the real deal is wildly expensive - authentic medieval manuscripts sell for thousands to millions of dollars.