I write this missive as you are about to embark on your greatest mission to date: the difficult but holy task of helping to establish our new monastery on Rathlin Island. I trust you will find the island pleasant, though remote; on the occasion of my visit to the site for the new Priory of St. Dungal I found the people to be most welcoming.
Your particular duty will be to equip and maintain the scriptorium; truly a vital task for those who follow the Rule of St. Benedict. You are already an accomplished scribe, but as this has been my life’s work at the Abbey, it falls to me to provide instruction. I hope that you will accept my humble advice, that the scriptorium of St. Dungal’s Priory may be best able to honour the Word of God. As there is a great deal to tell I have divided it into sections, that you may be able to easily discover any answer you might seek.
Monday
Layout of the Scriptorium
I will begin with the layout. It is important to have a great deal of natural light for the writing and illumination of manuscripts; therefore your scriptorium shall have large windows or openings through which light may pass. It is advisable for each desk to be well lighted. I have found it wise also to place the scriptorium close to the kitchen or the calefactory, as the warmth aids in keeping both ink and monks fit for writing (Wikipedia, 2008).
You will of course require storage for the books; I am sending two large chests with copies of the Gospels, Missals, Breviaries, and the like, and if you copy the design of these chests you will find them most satisfactory (De Hamel, 1994). Of course some works will be kept where they are of most use, in cupboards or on lecterns, but it will fall to you to store the others safely and in such a manner that they can be quickly found when required. As the saying goes, “claustrum sine armario est quasi castrum sine armamentario (a cloister without a book-room is like a military camp without weapons)” (Bologna, 1988, p.37).
You will of course require storage for the books; I am sending two large chests with copies of the Gospels, Missals, Breviaries, and the like, and if you copy the design of these chests you will find them most satisfactory (De Hamel, 1994). Of course some works will be kept where they are of most use, in cupboards or on lecterns, but it will fall to you to store the others safely and in such a manner that they can be quickly found when required. As the saying goes, “claustrum sine armario est quasi castrum sine armamentario (a cloister without a book-room is like a military camp without weapons)” (Bologna, 1988, p.37).
Setup of the Desks
Each scribe must have a desk to work at, and he should keep this prepared with parchment, quills, and ink kept in ink-horns or pots. He will need also his awl and stylus for ruling the parchment and his penknife for sharpening quills and scraping out errors in the text if he is so careless as to make them. A chair or stool of the proper height should be provided as well.
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Walraversijde25.jpg
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Walraversijde25.jpg
Preparing Quills
I am sending with you a goodly supply of quills and some fine parchment; most assuredly you will soon need more of both these things, and it would be wise to contract with the local farmers to ensure that you may obtain the feathers of their geese and the skins of their animals.
I feel almost foolish writing this next part, for of course you know how to make a quill, as does any scribe; but perhaps it will be of use in instructing the novices, and so I will include it here. Remember that quills are best made from the first five flight feathers of a large fowl (“Preparing”, 2002), and if geese are not sufficient in number you could use feathers from ducks, or swans, or any other large bird. The feathers must be cured by first soaking the shafts in water, then plunging them into heated sand. Once dry, scrape the inside of the barrel until it is clean. Trim the barbs from the shaft, else the writing will be most uncomfortable! Lastly, use your sharp penknife to shape the nib, cutting first the sides to achieve the desired shape, then square across the tip (“Preparing”, 2002).
I feel almost foolish writing this next part, for of course you know how to make a quill, as does any scribe; but perhaps it will be of use in instructing the novices, and so I will include it here. Remember that quills are best made from the first five flight feathers of a large fowl (“Preparing”, 2002), and if geese are not sufficient in number you could use feathers from ducks, or swans, or any other large bird. The feathers must be cured by first soaking the shafts in water, then plunging them into heated sand. Once dry, scrape the inside of the barrel until it is clean. Trim the barbs from the shaft, else the writing will be most uncomfortable! Lastly, use your sharp penknife to shape the nib, cutting first the sides to achieve the desired shape, then square across the tip (“Preparing”, 2002).
Preparing Parchment
Parchment-making is not quite so common a skill, but Brother Uhtred has some experience with it and will be bringing his supplies – a drying-frame and lunellum; I am sure he will be eager to teach the process to anyone willing to learn. From observing him I have seen that the hides are first soaked in water with lime, to remove the hair; then rinsed, and soaked again, and so on until they are quite clean; then he stretches them upon the drying-frame and tightens each peg as the skin dries, so that it will be flat and of a good thickness. He scrapes the skin with the lunellum until it is fine and smooth, and rubs it with pumice powder so that it is better able to take the ink, and then when it is dry the skin can be cut to the proper size (Theophilus, 12th c). If you are fortunate there may be a parchment-maker in a nearby village; if this is the case you can of course trade to obtain a ready supply.
You will also need tanned or tawed leather for covering the bindings of books, and alum-tawed thongs for sewing together the quires; a village of any size should have a tanner who can provide these things. The wooden boards for the binding can be cut to fit the manuscript; the best wood is oak (De Hamel, 1994).
You will also need tanned or tawed leather for covering the bindings of books, and alum-tawed thongs for sewing together the quires; a village of any size should have a tanner who can provide these things. The wooden boards for the binding can be cut to fit the manuscript; the best wood is oak (De Hamel, 1994).
Preparation of Ink
The simplest method for making black ink is to take lamp-black and mix it with gum (MMM, n.d.) ; this is not the best ink for use on parchment, however, because it does not soak into the surface as well as the ink made from gall-nuts. To make that ink, here is a good recipe:
There are of course many other paints and pigments which are used in illuminating manuscripts, but as you are a capable scribe, you no doubt have your own recipes for these and do not require my instruction.
“To make three pintes of ink: Take galls and gum, two ounces of each, and three ounces of copperas. Crush the galls and soak them for three days. Then boil them in three quartes of rain water, or water from a still pool. When they have boiled enough and the water is almost half-boiled away (I.e., no more than three pintes are left), take it off the fire, add the copperas and gum, and stir it until it is cold. Then put it in a cold, damp place. After three weeks it spoils.” (Bayard, 1992, p. 139).
You will also need red ink; this is made by grinding red lead into a powder and mixing it with egg white or gum; or use vermilion or minium, which must be ground with water, then put into a vessel filled with water; when the water becomes clear, pour it off, and mix the remainder with egg white (Lindgren-Larkin, 2000).There are of course many other paints and pigments which are used in illuminating manuscripts, but as you are a capable scribe, you no doubt have your own recipes for these and do not require my instruction.
Tools of a Scribe
There are some tools you will need for creating manuscripts; I have sent a good quantity of each of these:
-awls for pricking the margins of the sheets;
-stylii for ruling and drawing, made of metal or bone;
-penknives for making quills and fixing mistakes in the text by scraping the parchment (MMM, n.d.)
-inkhorns or inkpots for holding inks of different colours (MMM, n.d.)
-gold leaf for illumination and burnishing tools to polish it –as you know the burnishing tool is simply a dog’s tooth attached to a shaft, and you should be able to easily make more of these as needed.(MMM, n.d.)
-brushes for applying colour to illuminations; sometimes you will use a quill but sometimes it is better to use a brush made from the fine hair of a miniver or calaber, rolled and placed into the barrel of a feather. (MMM, n.d.)
-awls for pricking the margins of the sheets;
-stylii for ruling and drawing, made of metal or bone;
-penknives for making quills and fixing mistakes in the text by scraping the parchment (MMM, n.d.)
-inkhorns or inkpots for holding inks of different colours (MMM, n.d.)
-gold leaf for illumination and burnishing tools to polish it –as you know the burnishing tool is simply a dog’s tooth attached to a shaft, and you should be able to easily make more of these as needed.(MMM, n.d.)
-brushes for applying colour to illuminations; sometimes you will use a quill but sometimes it is better to use a brush made from the fine hair of a miniver or calaber, rolled and placed into the barrel of a feather. (MMM, n.d.)
Explicit
I pray that you will accept these instructions with the spirit of humility in which they were written; I wish only to aid you in your task and to help the new Priory in its holy duty. We at the Abbey will keep those of you who are going forth to found the Priory in our prayers and thoughts; and if we can in any way be of service, do not hesitate to call upon us.
By the Grace of God, I remain your humble servant,
Brother Theobald,
Brother Theobald,
of St. Grellan’s Abbey.
References
Asplund, R. (2005). Making the book of Ecclesiastes. http://www.randyasplund.com/browse/ecclesiastes/ecclesiastes.htm
Bayard, T. (1992) . A medieval home companion, housekeeping in the 14th Century. New York: Harper Perennial.
Bologna, G. (1988). Illuminated manuscripts: the book before Gutenberg. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
De Hamel, C. (1994). A history of illuminated manuscripts. London: Phaidon Press Ltd.
Lindgren-Larkin, M. (2000). Pigments in Medieval Book Art –Recipe Map - Red. Retrieved from http://senna.sjsu.edu/lmain/mlarkin/red.htm
Medieval Manuscript Manual. (n.d). http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/home.html
Preparing or transforming feathers to quills. (2002). From Quills and More website. Retrieved September 21, 2008 from http://senna.sjsu.edu/lmain/mbcebedo/projecttwo/preparation.htm
Theophilus Presbyter. (Early twelfth century). Schedula diversarium atrium. British Museum MS. Harley 3915, fol. 128r. Retrieved September 21, 2008 from from http://www.dedas.com/parchment/uk/recipe.html
Wikipedia. (2008). Scriptorium. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scriptorium
Bayard, T. (1992) . A medieval home companion, housekeeping in the 14th Century. New York: Harper Perennial.
Bologna, G. (1988). Illuminated manuscripts: the book before Gutenberg. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
De Hamel, C. (1994). A history of illuminated manuscripts. London: Phaidon Press Ltd.
Lindgren-Larkin, M. (2000). Pigments in Medieval Book Art –Recipe Map - Red. Retrieved from http://senna.sjsu.edu/lmain/mlarkin/red.htm
Medieval Manuscript Manual. (n.d). http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/home.html
Preparing or transforming feathers to quills. (2002). From Quills and More website. Retrieved September 21, 2008 from http://senna.sjsu.edu/lmain/mbcebedo/projecttwo/preparation.htm
Theophilus Presbyter. (Early twelfth century). Schedula diversarium atrium. British Museum MS. Harley 3915, fol. 128r. Retrieved September 21, 2008 from from http://www.dedas.com/parchment/uk/recipe.html
Wikipedia. (2008). Scriptorium. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scriptorium
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