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Invisible Scribes of Medieval Literature Revealed
Past Horizons ^ | Thursday, October 13, 2011 | unattributed

Posted on 10/15/2011 9:05:37 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Scholars led by Professor Linne Mooney in the Department of English and Related Literature and the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York, carried out research aimed at identifying the scribes who made the first copies of works by major authors of the 14th and early 15th centuries, including Geoffrey Chaucer and William Langland.

The project has launched a new freely-accessible website www.medievalscribes.com, created by the University of Sheffield's HRI, which illustrates each medieval or early modern manuscript of writings by five major Middle English authors: Chaucer, Langland, John Gower, John Trevisa and Thomas Hoccleve.

Professor Mooney said: "The clerks of the London Guildhall form the invisible link between medieval authors like Geoffrey Chaucer and their first audiences, the original owners of the medieval manuscripts we study today."

The research began with Professor Mooney's discovery of the identity of Adam Pinkhurst, Scrivener of London, who wrote the first copies of works by Chaucer, including his Canterbury Tales.

Funded by a four year grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the research also involved Dr Estelle Stubbs, of the University of York and the University of Sheffield and Dr Simon Horobin of the University of Oxford.

The site provides a description of each manuscript, including details such as dating and dialect, detailed descriptions of each scribe's handwriting, and illustrations of a typical page written by each scribe. It also features illustrations of eight letter forms typical of each scribe's writing so that further identifications of work by them can be made.

(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: adampinkhurst; chaucer; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; johngower; johntrevisa; thomashoccleve; williamlangland
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To: roamer_1

You forgot sliced bread.


21 posted on 10/15/2011 1:56:09 PM PDT by Little Ray (FOR the best Conservative in the Primary; AGAINST Obama in the General.)
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To: Little Ray
You forgot sliced bread.

The bread itself is not important, as it is only a convenient way of carrying butter, cheese and sausage... but the BUTTER, now... hmmm... I dunno... it opens one up to the sophistry of civilization. ; )

22 posted on 10/15/2011 4:42:57 PM PDT by roamer_1 (Globalism is just socialism in a business suit.)
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To: roamer_1

Bread is important because it makes food portable, and because it tastes pretty darn good all by itself.


23 posted on 10/15/2011 6:18:48 PM PDT by Little Ray (FOR the best Conservative in the Primary; AGAINST Obama in the General.)
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To: seowulf

So true. You can really see this in the Book of Kells. Every page is a work of art, adoration, and meditation. It is stunning to see.


24 posted on 10/16/2011 8:23:27 AM PDT by Melian ("Where will wants not, a way opens.")
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