The British Library Caxtons Online provides an early printed edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, with commentary and transcription. The image resolution and quality of scholarship is excellent.
The De Montfort University at Leicester has hosted and produced this manuscript digitalisation and is working on several others presently in co-operation with the British Library. If you are interested in the study of manuscript digitalisation, you might want to check out their podcast, which contains a discussion of the subject by scholars.
Showing posts with label Chaucer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chaucer. Show all posts
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Where to Find Manuscripts Online
Literacy rates of higher socio-economic classes have always been greater than the lower classes. This is true today as well as in the Middle Ages. Though books are no longer status symbols
Medieval manuscripts are published online by many different entities, the chief of which belong to large groups of professionals working together: therefore we have national libraries, regional/national museums, university libraries, and religious institutions.
Each of these institutions has their own methods and motivations in producing these manuscripts, which affects exactly what they choose to put online. The Welsh National Library places its mythological texts online before it does the entire Chaucer manuscript they have, which would be of international interest, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art uses only brief sections of the book of hours of Jeanne D’Evreux to describe the wider area of manuscript illustration. Hopefully it will become clear just how the are related as you read further through these links.
Medieval manuscripts are published online by many different entities, the chief of which belong to large groups of professionals working together: therefore we have national libraries, regional/national museums, university libraries, and religious institutions.
Each of these institutions has their own methods and motivations in producing these manuscripts, which affects exactly what they choose to put online. The Welsh National Library places its mythological texts online before it does the entire Chaucer manuscript they have, which would be of international interest, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art uses only brief sections of the book of hours of Jeanne D’Evreux to describe the wider area of manuscript illustration. Hopefully it will become clear just how the are related as you read further through these links.
National Libraries
Countries often see manuscripts as cultural icons and as national treasures. Books were once incredibly valuable objects, made by hand and with very expensive materials: aside from their monetary value, they carried with them a national identity. To simply possess a shelf full of books was an amazing thing. National libraries still value their medieval manuscripts, but are now trying to save them from deterioration over time and trying to make them available to the public (something very rare, and certainly impossible for their original viewers).
The National Library of Scotland
In addition to more modern manuscripts, this library contains the Murthly Hours (a devotional book of hours) and the Auchinleck Manuscript (lyrics, stories, poetry and prose) reproduced in full, with accompanying commentary, transcription.
The British Library
This library has a conservation and publication program that has made very important manuscripts available to the general public in a display setting that appeals to many. Their “Turning the Pages” program simulates actually turning the pages of a manuscript, and transcriptions, translations, and commentary are available at the click of a button. The images of these manuscripts are high-res and detailed, professional photographs.
Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru (The National Library of Wales)
This library has made available numerous selections and some whole manuscripts in a number of languages, including books of Taliesin, of the Mabinogi, an edition of Chaucer, a miscellany in Middle English, and several historical chronicles. These manuscripts have their own descriptive pages that put them in a historical context.
Bibliothéque Nationale de France
France’s national library contains selections from many medieval manuscripts, including that of Jean of Berry’s book of hours and Gaston Phoebus’ Book of the Hunt, as well as Froissart’s 15th century historical chronicles, an earlier atlas, a scientific work, and a breviary.
The National Library of Scotland
In addition to more modern manuscripts, this library contains the Murthly Hours (a devotional book of hours) and the Auchinleck Manuscript (lyrics, stories, poetry and prose) reproduced in full, with accompanying commentary, transcription.
The British Library
This library has a conservation and publication program that has made very important manuscripts available to the general public in a display setting that appeals to many. Their “Turning the Pages” program simulates actually turning the pages of a manuscript, and transcriptions, translations, and commentary are available at the click of a button. The images of these manuscripts are high-res and detailed, professional photographs.
Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru (The National Library of Wales)
This library has made available numerous selections and some whole manuscripts in a number of languages, including books of Taliesin, of the Mabinogi, an edition of Chaucer, a miscellany in Middle English, and several historical chronicles. These manuscripts have their own descriptive pages that put them in a historical context.
Bibliothéque Nationale de France
France’s national library contains selections from many medieval manuscripts, including that of Jean of Berry’s book of hours and Gaston Phoebus’ Book of the Hunt, as well as Froissart’s 15th century historical chronicles, an earlier atlas, a scientific work, and a breviary.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Selected Images
Selected images of manuscripts are placed online usually because the manuscripts are too damaged to be handled very much without expert care, or because the department putting up the manuscript was not funded well enough to place the entire manuscript on the internet. Such is the case in some of the following manuscripts.
As you can see, though, placing only part of a manuscript online does not necessarily take away from the overall presentation. For some online presentations, the audience is made up of the general public, schoolchildren, or scholars that are more interested in the subject of the piece rather than the piece itself.
The Ellesmere Chaucer Facsimile
Long Island University has placed miniatures of the pilgrims of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales online in this page. Though there are actually 31 pilgrims (or 29, depending on your research), there are only 23 portraits here: the ones missing are the tradesmen. If you click on a single image until it takes you to a high-resolution version of the image.
Byzantine Medieval Hypertexts
This web site was produced by a doctoral student at the Univ. of Texas at Austin, working with images produced by faculty at Univ. Notre Dame. The text used here is the Theodore Psalter.
Treasures from the UK National Archives
This site provides selections from a number of manuscripts, including a copy of the Magna Carta, the Domesday Book, the Treaty of Calais, and others. The images are not high-resolution or annotated for professional use but described for the general public. Options on this website include viewing a transcript, sending as an e-card, and bookmarking the site with Facebook, Reddit, or Yahoo--definitely for the general public!
Gaston Phoebus, “Book of the Hunt”
This hunting manual has been cropped and scanned only for its miniatures. However, the miniatures can be enlarged to a fairly good resolution image. This manuscript has been placed online by the Bibliothéque National de France.
As you can see, though, placing only part of a manuscript online does not necessarily take away from the overall presentation. For some online presentations, the audience is made up of the general public, schoolchildren, or scholars that are more interested in the subject of the piece rather than the piece itself.
The Ellesmere Chaucer Facsimile
Long Island University has placed miniatures of the pilgrims of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales online in this page. Though there are actually 31 pilgrims (or 29, depending on your research), there are only 23 portraits here: the ones missing are the tradesmen. If you click on a single image until it takes you to a high-resolution version of the image.
Byzantine Medieval Hypertexts
This web site was produced by a doctoral student at the Univ. of Texas at Austin, working with images produced by faculty at Univ. Notre Dame. The text used here is the Theodore Psalter.
Treasures from the UK National Archives
This site provides selections from a number of manuscripts, including a copy of the Magna Carta, the Domesday Book, the Treaty of Calais, and others. The images are not high-resolution or annotated for professional use but described for the general public. Options on this website include viewing a transcript, sending as an e-card, and bookmarking the site with Facebook, Reddit, or Yahoo--definitely for the general public!
Gaston Phoebus, “Book of the Hunt”
This hunting manual has been cropped and scanned only for its miniatures. However, the miniatures can be enlarged to a fairly good resolution image. This manuscript has been placed online by the Bibliothéque National de France.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Stories & Fiction
Stories of adventure were called “romances” in the Middle Ages--a word very nearly divorced from the definition we think of today. Along with romances, there were stories of the lives of saints (called vitae), allegories, and song lyrics--a huge variety when you see them as a whole, but unfortunately not too much of them have been put online. This is a very small selection of an enormous amount of literature.
The Auchinleck Manuscript
The National Library of Scotland has placed this entire manuscript on display online, with commentary, translation, and transcription. There is also a history of the manuscript available and an extensive bibliography, should you be interested in reading further. The website offers search capabilities, a glossary, and a lexicon. If you are new to Middle English or to manuscript studies, I recommend you start with this site.
Wessex Parallel WebTexts: Medieval Lyrics
This site hosts translations, transcriptions, and digitised images of the Harley Lyrics and several other brief pieces of Middle English literature. There is an introduction to grammar, a section on translating Middle English, and notes on technical terms. There is also an index of first lines, for your convenience. If you are interested in medieval song lyrics, this is an excellent site from which to start.
The Bodleian Library: Early Manuscripts
Manuscripts such as “Piers Plowman” (an allegory take about a farmer named Piers who has a dream full of adventures whose morals apply to his time) and Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” have been put online here in full, but with no transcription, translation, or commentary. However, if you are interested in studying these pieces, there is an enormous amount of literature about them in other places online or in your local library.
The National Library of Wales: the Mabinogi
The Mabinogion is a collection of mythological tales in Middle Welsh that have a partially Arthurian tinge to them but stand aloof from other Arthurian tales by story elements that are often unfamiliar. These manuscripts are in Middle Welsh without transcript, translation, or commentary, but there are translations online which you can use in conjunction with this project.
The National Library of Wales: A Middle English Miscellany
This manuscript is full of a variety of things, like the Auchinleck Manuscript from the National Library of Scotland, from Arthurian poetry to a treatise on grafting trees. Although accompanied by an introduction there is no transcription or translation readily available online. However, since some of the script is quite legible it might be worth it to challenge yourself by trying to read it straight from the page!
The Auchinleck Manuscript
The National Library of Scotland has placed this entire manuscript on display online, with commentary, translation, and transcription. There is also a history of the manuscript available and an extensive bibliography, should you be interested in reading further. The website offers search capabilities, a glossary, and a lexicon. If you are new to Middle English or to manuscript studies, I recommend you start with this site.
Wessex Parallel WebTexts: Medieval Lyrics
This site hosts translations, transcriptions, and digitised images of the Harley Lyrics and several other brief pieces of Middle English literature. There is an introduction to grammar, a section on translating Middle English, and notes on technical terms. There is also an index of first lines, for your convenience. If you are interested in medieval song lyrics, this is an excellent site from which to start.
The Bodleian Library: Early Manuscripts
Manuscripts such as “Piers Plowman” (an allegory take about a farmer named Piers who has a dream full of adventures whose morals apply to his time) and Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” have been put online here in full, but with no transcription, translation, or commentary. However, if you are interested in studying these pieces, there is an enormous amount of literature about them in other places online or in your local library.
The National Library of Wales: the Mabinogi
The Mabinogion is a collection of mythological tales in Middle Welsh that have a partially Arthurian tinge to them but stand aloof from other Arthurian tales by story elements that are often unfamiliar. These manuscripts are in Middle Welsh without transcript, translation, or commentary, but there are translations online which you can use in conjunction with this project.
The National Library of Wales: A Middle English Miscellany
This manuscript is full of a variety of things, like the Auchinleck Manuscript from the National Library of Scotland, from Arthurian poetry to a treatise on grafting trees. Although accompanied by an introduction there is no transcription or translation readily available online. However, since some of the script is quite legible it might be worth it to challenge yourself by trying to read it straight from the page!
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