Ego sum, ego Google

Saturday, 30 April 2016

Why my research matters

So, I've been busy.

Most recently, co-organising and this workshop addressing how we (medievalists and early-modernists) present our research. It was a really fascinating day with some very interesting points made, here are the highlights:

Friday, 25 March 2016

Holy Saturday

This week is Holy Week and tomorrow many break their Lenten fasts, or feast on chocolate. The two are not mutually exclusive.

As part of the Easter story (well, that accepted in the Middle Ages), Jesus spent the time between his crucifixion and resurrection harrowing hell. This 'harrowing', a term which means either ploughing or the sacking of a place, essentially meant that those that had died, but were not sinners, were now permitted to enter heaven as a result of Christ's intervention. The gates of heaven were now open, death was no longer a waiting room for salvation.

There's shedloads of stuff to read regarding the harrowing of hell (Is it a part of the original easter story? Was it invented later? Was salavation only possible after?....etc.etc.), but like other famous myths it lends itself wonderfully to artists:

Happy Easter (tomorrow) everyone!


Baltimore, Walter Art Museum, MS W. 918 f. 149 v.


London, BL, Arundel 157, f. 110


New York, The Madison Library, MS W.2 f. 139 v.

Philadelphia, Penn Library, MS Codex 738, f. 127 r.

Saturday, 19 March 2016

Patrologia Latina

I've missed a couple of weeks of blogs now - but for a good reason!

I'm in the process of putting together a first draft of my thesis which has resulted in much editing and rewriting, but little new research. No new research, means no new blogs. However, I do have an useful source to share with the interwebs and a nifty MS image.

The source is the Patrologia Latina which is essentially a source book for early church texts. It exists in physical form in many, many volumes or in searchable form via a subscription database (my nearest subscribing library is the Bodleian).

When chasing a single reference however, an online edition would be more helpful. Never fear! This wonderful website lists multiple sources for each volume:

http://patristica.net/latina/

You're welcome.

"Two women attempting to catch flying hearts", British Library, Stowe MS 955, f. 13r

This image is in a collection of 16th century love poems and no, I'm not really sure why the ladies are capturing winged hearts. It's a lovely image though isn't it?

Saturday, 27 February 2016

Monthly Round-Up

This month in medieval news begins with an encouragment to go to twitter and search #manuscriptthetube for a plethora of gorgeous MS images related to tube stops. Started by the British Library I believe.

A 15th c. ship in Netherlands complete with on board oven has been raised:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/medieval-trading-ship-raised-to-surface-almost-intact-after-500-years-on-riverbed-in-netherlands-a6870221.html

Medieval reading habits explored:
http://medievalbooks.nl/2016/02/26/dirty-old-books/?utm_content=buffere77e5&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Monsters in map margins:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/can-you-spot-the-monsters-in-this-medieval-map-of-the-world

A particularly sneaky looking rabbit.

(14th c. Italy, Bibliotheque Municipale, MS 322 f.104v)

Saturday, 20 February 2016

#ColourOurCollections

The 'craze' for therapeutic colouring has been upon us for quite a while. Recently however, it has reached important new heights - colouring books from museum and library collections.

While the urge to colour the beautiful images you see in manuscripts hadn't been one I'd actually harboured (I'm more of a desperately scout the gift shop for reproductions kinda girl), these do look really fun. A Google search will quickly bring up a number of results but here are my favourites:

Bodleian Library:
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/197453/2016-Colouring-Book.pdf

Museum of English Rural Life:
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/197453/2016-Colouring-Book.pdf

Dittrick Medical History Center:
http://artsci.case.edu/dittrick/files/2013/12/DittrickColoringBook.pdf

The Getty:
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/files/2016/02/ColorOurCollections__TheGetty.pdf

Saturday, 13 February 2016

Heart Shaped books

In an attempt to have something vaguely Valentine's day themed ahead of tomorrow, have some eye candy in the form of heart shaped books.

I'm by no means a manuscript scholar, so if you're curious about them (and the heart as a symbol in general) I thoroughly reccomend this link which summarises a book on the topic:
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/391167.html

Now, onto the eye candy:

This paining is held in the Met Museum and is dated to the mid-fifteenth century.

Depicted, is the elevation of the host during mass when the host is raised and "This is my body" is spoken. According to Eric Jager, the shape of the book demonstrates veneration of chirst and an association between "the worshipper's heart (cor) to Christ's body (corpus)".

The shape of the book is also symbolic of the "inner self" - but at this point we're venturing into a larger topic than this blog can handle!

Here are some examples of genuine heart shaped books however to sate your curiosity.