Medieval manuscripts

A new life for old manuscripts

Staff #MedievalMonday October 30, 2017December 15, 2017Book bindings, Codicology, Fragments, Medieval manuscripts

The College holds just 10 medieval manuscripts (or those created before 1500), and we’ve explored many features of ALL of them over the past 10 months. In the next few weeks, I’ll be showing off some of our incunabula (books printed before 1500) that were bound in manuscript waste. Yes, not only were ‘old’ manuscripts used as binding support material (see this earlier post), but they were also used as covers.

It was common practice for early bookbinders to cut up and use pages from outdated or unwanted manuscripts as binding material. This practice lasted until the 17th century, when unwanted manuscripts became more difficult to find.

The College holds at least 4 incunabula bound in music manuscripts, and several others bound in text manuscripts. The next few weeks we’ll be looking at some of them.

Regimen speciale

Staff #MedievalMonday October 23, 2017December 15, 2017Arnold of Villanova, Medieval manuscripts, Medieval medicine, Regimen sanitatis

As I mentioned in “A kingly rule of health,” Arnald included a chapter specially for James II on hemorrhoids, which the king suffered from. Arnald advised the king to follow a moderate and healthy diet, staying away from foods that were too salty or sweet, since those foods could cause flare-ups.

Folio 26r. Arnald of Villanova,
*Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum*. Spain or southern France; 14th century or c.1400. Call number 10a 210.

A script in sanitatis

Staff #MedievalMonday October 16, 2017May 13, 2020Codicology, Dating historical manuscripts, Medieval manuscripts, Paleography

Over the past few months, we’ve looked at various parts of medieval manuscripts – catchwords, ink (here and here), illuminations (here, here, and here), etc., etc. Today we are going to look at the script of 10a 210 (Arnald of Villanova’s Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum).

Folio 9v. Arnald of Villanova,
*Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum*. Spain or southern France; 14th century or c.1400. Call number 10a 210.

“A moth ate words”

Staff #MedievalMonday October 9, 2017April 18, 2018Codicology, History of the book, Medieval manuscripts

Look closely at the first folio of 10a 210, Arnald of Villanova’s Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum. In the left and bottom margins you’ll see holes. These holes are not the result of parchment tearing or existing holes in the skin (as discussed in this earlier post), but bookworms. Bookworms are “Any of various insects that damage books; spec. a maggot that is said to burrow through the paper and boards,” as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary.

Folio 1r. Arnald of Villanova,
*Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum*. Spain or southern France; 14th century or c.1400. Call number 10a 210.

A kingly rule of health

Staff #MedievalMonday October 2, 2017April 18, 2018Arnold of Villanova, Medieval manuscripts, Medieval medicine, Regimen sanitatis

The Regimen sanitatis [Salernitum] falls under the genre of ‘advice literature,’ just like the Regimine regum et principum (see this earlier post).

Arnald of Villanova,
*Regimen sanitatis ad regem Aragonum*. Spain or southern France; 14th century or c.1400. Call number 10a 210.

Cold temperatures are best for conception

Staff #MedievalMonday September 25, 2017December 15, 2017Aristotle, Humors, Medieval manuscripts, Medieval medicine

Two weeks ago, we read Giles of Rome’s advice on moderation in the diet, and this week we are examining the best time to conceive children – male and female. In the Book II, Part I, chapter 17, Giles explains what Aristotle says in Textus poleticorum and De metheoris regarding conception.

Folio 110v-111r. Giles of Rome. *De regimine regem et principum*. Call no. 10a 212.

A letter with a story to tell

Staff #MedievalMonday September 18, 2017December 15, 2017Codicology, Illuminations, Initials, Medieval manuscripts

I have written several posts regrading initials in medieval manuscripts (here, here, here, and here), and here’s yet another. This week it’s about historiated initials, the most elaborate initials one can find in manuscripts. Historiated initials are letters which contain “an identifiable scene or figures, sometimes relating to the text.”