Rare Merlin and King Arthur text found hidden in binding of medieval book

Popular Science ^ | March 31, 2025 | Andrew Paul

[SunkenCiv]

Variations on the classic Merlin and King Arthur legends span hundreds, if not thousands, of retellings. Many are documented within handwritten medieval manuscripts dating back over a millenia—but some editions are far rarer than others. For example, less than 40 copies are known to exist of a once-popular sequel series, the Suite Vulgate du Merlin. In 2019, researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered fragments of one more copy in their collections, tucked inside the recycled binding of a wealthy family's property record from the 16th century. But at the time of discovery, the text was impossible to read.

Now after years of painstaking collaborative work with the university's Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory (CHIL), archivists have finally been able to peer inside the obscured texts—without ever needing to physically handle the long-lost pages.

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: andrewpaul; camelot; darkages; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; kingarthur; merlin; middleages; suitevulgatedumerlin

[SunkenCiv]

This video of Cambridge University Library's manuscript Vanneck Box 5a showcases a 3D animation that simulates the parchment unfolding. It uses a composite image to uncover the concealed text.

Virtual opening of CUL's Vanneck Merlin fragment | 0:15
Cambridge University Library (the UL)
8.41K subscribers | 17,177 views | December 4, 2024

[SunkenCiv]

Found: A 13th-Century Tale of Merlin and Arthur, Reused as Bookbinding | by Noor Al-Samarrai | February 1, 2019 | Atlas Obscura | The early text can help scholars understand how the legend evolved over time.

There's Merlin's name in the text recently discovered by librarian Michael Robinson.

University of Bristol

[SunkenCiv]

• Sidebar: The mysterious doodles hidden in a 1,300-year-old book (and many more)
  Richard Fisher | 8 February 2023 | BBC

[DannyTN]

It was magically hidden there.

[SunkenCiv]

https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/merlin-manuscript-discovered-cambridge
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article303698256.html
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/merlin-king-arthur-manuscript-found-cambridge-library-2626915
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250324-the-magical-medieval-tale-revealed-by-a-100000-dollar-camera

[monkeyshine]

Pretty cool. I just hide cash in the binding. Hopefully burglars are illiterate and don’t possess Multispectral Imaging equipment.

[SunkenCiv]

:^) Hiding cash in books is an old practice, probably stemmed from burglars being mostly functionally illiterate. ;^)

[mass55th]

I thought maybe it was an early script written for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[SunkenCiv]

In the sidebar link there’s a pic of a copper sheet that has a musical score on the reverse. Probably part of the MPatHG soundtrack if ya ask me.

[MikelTackNailer]

Maybe it’s part of Merlin’s set while he was minstreling at the feast. The crowd held up candles and shouted ‘Freebird!”.

[deks]

They say King Arthur could sing a little. It’s true!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os-jJuwgNkA&t=0m10s

[Telepathic Intruder]

Anál nathrach
Orth’ bháis ’s bethad
Do chél dénmha

There, that should make it easier to read.

[tired&retired]

Really interesting article about the history of leprosy at the same link.

Thanks for sharing.

🙏

[Salamander]

/read that in Nicol Williamson’s voice

Best. Merlin. Ever.

[Salamander]

Bless you for getting it right, spelling-wise

Pun possibly intended

😁

[Telepathic Intruder]

Copy-paste never fails. Pronouncing it right is the important thing, or you never know what might happen.

[windcliff]

Ping

[Telepathic Intruder]

Despite some melodramatic dialogue, one of the most well-made and beautiful movies ever.

[FreedomPoster]

Did you hear about the businessman who didn’t know his secretary had leprosy until his business fell off . . .

I’ll let myself out.

[Trump_Triumphant]

You know what else is good? Knights of the Round Table with Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, and a cast of thousands. It’s not as gritty as Excalibur, but it’s very entertaining and has some spiritual elements to it as well.