Exploring manuscripts and their corrections, this book uncovers medieval perspectives on books, language, and literature. It provides an in-depth analysis of how these texts reflect the cultural and intellectual climate of the time, revealing insights into the values and beliefs of medieval society. The study highlights the significance of manuscripts as historical artifacts, offering a unique lens through which to understand the evolution of literary thought in the Middle Ages.
Focusing on the craft practices and cultural conventions of late medieval English manuscript scribes, this volume reveals often overlooked elements that reshape current perceptions of literary and material culture from that era. It offers insights into the artistic and literary attitudes of the time, making it a valuable resource for students and researchers seeking a deeper understanding of this period's manuscripts.
Early manuscripts in the English language include religious works, plays, romances, poetry and songs, as well as charms, notebooks, science and medieval medicine. How did scribes choose to arrange the words and images on the page in each manuscript? How did they preserve, clarify and illustrate writing in English? What visual guides were given to early readers of English in how to understand or use their books?'Designing English' is an overview of eight centuries of graphic design in manuscripts and inscriptions from the Anglo-Saxon to the early Tudor periods. Working beyond the traditions established for Latin, scribes of English needed to be more inventive, so that each book was an opportunity for redesigning. 'Designing English' focuses on the craft, agency and intentions of scribes, painters and engravers in the practical processes of making pages and artefacts. It weighs up the balance of ingenuity and copying, practicality and imagination in their work. It surveys bilingual books, format, ordinatio, decoration and reading aloud, as well as inscriptions on objects, monuments and buildings.With over ninety illustrations, drawn especially from the holdings of the Bodleian Library in Old English and Middle English, 'Designing English' gives a comprehensive overview of English books and other material texts across the Middle Ages.
