Important things about manuscripts
- Very expensive
- Hand-written
- Monastic product
- Unique
- Very vulnerable
What are the dangers to manuscripts?
- Vikings would kidnap books
- Cats would pee on them, they were allowed near because of mice
- Mice
- Worms
- Fire, purposely or accidentally
- Water to put out the fire
Three main places for Anglo-Saxon manuscripts
- Cambridge, Corpus Christi College
- London, British Library
- Oxford Bodleian Library
Why are there manuscripts in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College?
Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury was a manuscript collector. He had over 400 manuscripts (Bible, homilies), and after his death these were donated.
Why are there manuscripts in London, British Library?
Sir Robert Cotton had the largest collection of OE manuscripts in the world. His heirs donated the collection to the nation.
They were housed in Ashburnham house, where fire broke out. The manuscripts were damaged by fire and water, some were saved by being thrown out of the window.
Why are there manuscripts in Oxford, Bodleian Library?
Thomas Bodley founded the library in 1602, felt like these works should not be in private possession. He asked for donations to his library.
What are the most important poetic manuscripts?
- Beowulf manuscript
- Vercelli Book
- Exeter Book (riddles)
- Junius Book
Beowulf manuscript (975-1025)
- London, British Library
- Edges are burnt
- Most important text is Beowulf
- Contents:
• Judith
• Marvels of the East
• Life of Saint Christopher
• Letter of Alexander to Aristotle
• Beowulf
Location Beowulf Manuscript
London, British Library, Cotton Vitelius, A XV
Vercelli Book and its location
- c. 975
- Vercelli, Cathedral Library, MS CVII (north of Italy)
- Contents:
- Various homilies and Saint’s lives
- The Dream of the Rood (crucifixion from perspective of cross)
Exeter Book: location, contents
- Big book of OE poems on various subjects
- Exeter, Exeter Cathedral Library, MS 3501
- Contents:
• Wisdom poetry
• Over 90 riddles
• Elegies
Junius Manuscript
- Named after Franciscus Junius (one of the owners, Leiden theology student, pioneer of Germanic philology.
- Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Junius 11
- Contents:
• Genesis
• Exodus
• Daniel
• Christ and Satan
Wrongly contributed to Caedmon!
Interlinear glosses
Glosses (word for word translations) were added to the Latin original between the lines.
Marginal gloss
Translations were put in the margin.
What are paving letters in OE glosses?
They indicate a correct OE word-order since the Latin one is different. It could also be done with a number of dots or commas indicating connections.
Scratched glosses
Probably indicated teaching methods, maybe a prompt for translation. Only visible at certain angles.
Exodus and its storyline
Exodus is a biblical poem, not based on the whole Book of Exodus and shaped by elements of Genesis on Noah, Abraham and Isaac. The poet attempted to make the story accessible and more appealing to the Anglo-Saxons.
Storyline:
1. The Lord’s pact with Moses
2. The Israelites sail to the Red Sea
3. Moses puts heart into the Israelites: the Israelites are scared upon seeing the Pharaoh’s army, but Moses puts heart into them by recalling God’s covenant. His power is enacted through Moses’ hand.
4. The drowning of the Egyptians
Two reasons why medieval manuscripts were illuminated
- To explain the text (St. Augustine’s Gospel; he brought it with him to England; basically first comic book; explained with pictures).
- To add prestige (Benedictional of St. Aethelwold).
Why is the Junius Manuscript sometimes referred to as ‘the Caedmon manuscript’?
For a long time, scholars believed them to be the work of Cædmon, accordingly calling the book the Cædmon manuscript. This theory has been discarded due to the significant differences between the poems.
Because it was believed it was written by Caedmon.
How did the poet of Exodus (story of the Israelites/Moses) try to make the poem accessible and more appealing to the Anglo-Saxons?
- Uses imagery that is reminiscent of Old English poems (warriors, leading people to victory).
- Features typical Anglo-Saxon imagery (such as ‘joys of hall’).
- The beginning is like Beowulf.
What imagery does the poet use to describe the journey of the Israelites through the desert and why?
The poet uses typical imagery from Old English poetry, which includes themes of “glory”, “courageous men”, “warriors” and “honour”. The text makes certain to mention “noble warriors” and “heroes”.
To make Exodus appealing and accessible to the Anglo-Saxons.
How might the story of Exodus be read allegorically? What might the passage through the Red Sea stand for? What about the ‘Promised Land’?
In Exodus, the passage through the Red Sea can be seen as a symbol of liberation or a journey to salvation. The sea’s parting could represent overcoming obstacles or escaping from oppression. The Promised Land can be seen as a metaphor for a place of peace; the ultimate destination or goal.
What is the difference between the punctuation used by writers of Modern English and that of Old English scribes? And what are features of Old English poetry punctuation in manuscripts?
Modern English punctuation is strict (for syntactic function), and Old English punctuation wasn’t; its usage varies.
Some scribes used it with fair reliability to mark clause- and sentence boundaries, though sometimes a work may be unpunctuated.
Half line • half line • (shows the way OE poetry was written).
