I scheduled yesterday's post for yesterday, and it didn't post. Strange.
It's there now, but I'll have to figure out why it didn't post. (Late thought: maybe I didn't hit publish).
This isn't too much adventure and exploring, but it's historical. Anyway, here is something I found for the book/history lovers: Technology Recovers Marginalia from Medieval Manuscript (link goes out to Archaeology).
I had never heard the term "marginalia" before, so for those who haven't either it's writing in the margins.
They said there were doodles and notes taken in the margins of the oldest surviving medieval manuscript. The writings a doodles were later erased by a later owner of the book.
It's great to hear that they can read them as, like the article mentions, we can get an insight into what our ancestors thought of the text - or if they, like so many students in class, wrote other notes in the margins.
Pawn Stars had a book come into their shop that was from the library of Isaac Newton (I believe). There were notes in those margins as well (though they were said to not be in his handwriting).
I can tell you I have books from English classes full of class notes, my thoughts, and notes from friends sitting next to me. I was also fortunate to buy a used book for a History class and find the pages full of notes from a previous owner. The notes were so great that I looked like a genius during in-class discussions, despite not actually reading the book.
Even J.K.Rowling had two paperback books, about Quidditch and Mythical Beasts, where Ron and Harry wrote notes to each other. Those were a great read, even if it was just for the notes.
Normally, I cringe at writing in books - that's what notebooks are for - but in the case of the Marginalia in the Medieval Manuscript (sounds like a title for a crime novel or TV crime show episode), I am thrilled.
This is a well-known phenomenon within biblical studies--especially to those who deal with early biblical manuscripts. Aside from notes in the margins where the copyist isn't sure if what they're reading was original to the text (e.g., John 5:4), they would sometimes add comments about their working conditions. Some monks use colophons (similar to marginalia) to complain about the weather. One, writing while a snowstorm raged outside says that his ink froze, his hand went numb, and he dropped his pen! Others are more simple in stating their feelings: "The end of the book. Thanks be to God!"
ReplyDeleteA fascinating topic. :)
I didn't know that! It must be amusing to read some of the colophons.
DeleteIt seems colophons and marginalia are more archaic methods of social media, where people post the same sentiments - comments on the weather and praise for the end of work. Despite the change in technology, it seems human nature hasn't changed too much. :)