Medieval women artists painting self portraits, 15th century.
Top: Unknown Artist Marcia Painting Self-Portrait using Mirror (from Giovanni Boccaccio De claris mulieribus, Anonymous French Translantio, Le livre de femmes nobles et renomees, France c 1440 British Library Artiste faisant son autoportrait
Bottom: Unknown Artist from Giovanni Boccaccio De claris mulieribus, Anonymous French Translantio, Le livre de femmes nobles et renomees, France c 1440 British Library Autoportrait sur bois
You can see more here (with citations): http://bjws.blogspot.com/2014/02/illuminated-manuscripts-women-artists.html
Medieval book historian at Leiden University, The Netherlands. I post images from medieval books. More eye candy on Twitter (@erik_kwakkel) and longer blogs on medievalbooks.nl.
If you’re not already following him, you should.
Scribes, I’m looking at you. And plying you with pretty pictures.
“Grand Study Hall, New York Public Library”, by Alex Proimos, CC By-NC 2.0
1. When you’re searching an online catalog or a database, be aware of the subject terms listed on entries you think may be relevant to your question/topic. In most systems, these are links that will help you either broaden or narrow your search.
2. When you go to the shelf to find that perfect thing and it ends up being not-so-perfect, look around – in both the Dewey and Library of Congress systems, similar items are shelved together. Just because the item corresponding to the call number you wrote down on a small scrap of paper with a golf pencil didn’t pan out, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a diamond lurking in one of the books near it. For many SCA topics, you can find a chapter or section of a book on a larger topic that is relevant to your specific research need.
3. Don’t forget databases! These tools are wonderful treasure troves of information that cost your library a pretty penny – and cost you NOTHING. Search them! The History Reference Center and MasterFILE Premier (both by EBSCO) are decent resources. If your library gives you access to JSTOR or ArtStor, consider yourself very lucky – these resources are amazing (especially ArtStor – you can see if your institution [or one near you that will give you privileges] has access by looking here. If there is a university near you listed, don’t hesitate to go visit – you may not be able to access remotely, but you should be able to get on using a computer at the library. Seriously. ArtStor is awesome. I miss having access to it.).
4. Despite what Cecil tells you, librarians aren’t that dangerous. We like helping people. Make use of your librarian! For some SCA stuff, you may have to be patient – your friendly neighborhood reference librarian is probably used to helping a few undergrads but mostly high school and younger researchers find stuff. Be very specific, and don’t worry about scaring them. They aren’t like the fabric store people who ask “what are you making?” just to make small talk – the more you tell them, the better help they can give.
5. Use Worldcat – it will show you everything that OCLC (basically this massive library records conglomerate thing) has records for – and they have records for pretty much everything. You can create a free account and make lists. You can see a list of resources I’ve made on period fools/jesters here: [x] It’s a great way to keep all your resources in one spot (esp. when it comes time to write your bibliography).
6. Don’t be afraid to ask. Ask librarians. Ask me. Ask the hiveminds of Facebook and Tumblr. Even if someone doesn’t know the answer or can’t point you to a resource, nine times out of ten they can point you to someone who can. That’s one thing that the SCA does really, really well. We connect people who are interested about X with other people who are also interested about X.
7. When I take notes, I write down exact quotes, followed by a brief citation (usually in Google Drive or Evernote). This is based on a practice instilled in me by Mrs. Thistle, my 10th grade English teacher, and strengthed by Mrs. Utley, my 12th grade English teacher. Only they had us use notecards. Anyway, even if it isn’t the exact format of the citation you’ll use when you write up your documentation (whether you do APA, MLA, or footnotes), it will help you in terms of remembering where you got that information. By doing an exact quote in your notes, it will also help you paraphrase when you actually write and avoid accidentally plagiarizing.
I could probably write more, but I’ll stop for now.
That sounds really weird, because I feel like I’m a librarian no matter what I’m doing. It’s just part of who I am, you know? I just do it. At work, yeah. But in restaurants, cars, random conversations at home. Someone says something. I look stuff up. I share said stuff. It’s just me.
I’m like a bending robot, only my bending is librarianship.
In order to do librarian-stuff for the SCA that extends beyond helping friends who ask me stuff, I created a tumblr: SCAReferenceDesk.
There’s some scribally stuff there, but there’s also a fair bit of heraldry and other random topics. I post things I find (like free ebooks and other cool sources) but I also answer questions.
From the Online Medieval Source Bibliography [x]: This scroll, nearly 20 feet long, was produced in honor of Edward IV’s coronation in 1461. The king’s scroll shows Edward’s genealogy and, far from being a mere commemorative document, served as propaganda demonstrating the legitimacy of the first Yorkist king, who had gained the thrown by defeating his predecessor, Henry VI in battle.
Twa Corbies (or Two Ravens) is a traditional Scottish/English folk song. It was first collected and published in 1611 by Thomas Ravenscroft (tell me that isn’t just fun, name-wise), in his collection Melismata. It is recorded as Child Ballad #26.
International Music Source Library Project’s Entry (includes PDF sheet music): [Link]
There is a “happier” version of the song, but I like the cynical one better.
Lyrics:
As I was walking a’ alane, I heard twa corbies makin’ a mane. The tane untae the tither did say, Whaur sail we gang and dine the day, O. Whaur sail we gang and dine the day?
It’s in ahint yon auld fail dyke I wot there lies a new slain knight; And naebody kens that he lies there But his hawk and his hound, and his lady fair, O. But his hawk and his hound, and his lady fair.
His hound is to the hunting gane His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady ta’en anither mate, So we may mak’ our dinner swate, O. So we may mak’ our dinner swate.
Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane, And I’ll pike oot his bonny blue e’en Wi’ ae lock o’ his gowden hair We’ll theek oor nest when it grows bare, O.
We’ll theek oor nest when it grows bare. There’s mony a ane for him maks mane But nane sail ken whaur he is gane O’er his white banes when they are bare The wind sail blaw for evermair, O. The wind sail blaw for evermair.
Ohmygosh tell me about it. Trompe-l’œil makes me cry. It’s beautiful, but I am a paste-eating child when I’m asked to attempt it. Tasty, tasty paste.
BTW, I’m totally doing the mental super-sekrit-scribal-handshake. Rock on, scribes! And welcome! (Also, bb!scribe makes me giggle. <3)
First of, Google is weird when it comes to finding specific images in illuminated manuscripts. My two absolute favorite resources are the British Library and the Bodleian Library. There are, of course, plenty of other libraries and institutions that have digitized cataloges that you can search, but BL and Bodl are my go-tos.
BableStone: 72 Views of the Tower of Babel – This blog has a cool run-down of various images of the Tower of Babel in manuscripts, along with citations (yea citations!) and links. If the links don’t work, use the shelf/manuscript number to search the collection (those links should work) and find it. (I’m having some issues with it, so if you run into problems, let me know and I will help you track down individual images.
I really like this one.
illustration by Michiel van der Borch to Jacob van Maerlant’s Rhimebible MMW, 10 B 21 folio 9v Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague, Netherlands Netherlands (Utrecht), 1332
“Tower of Babel” or “Babel” would be good search terms to use in Bodley and BL. “Building” and “architecture” aren’t bad, but you will get less.
A lot of 12th and 13th century portraiture use architectural elements for framing, like this portrait of King Solomon:
Additional 11639 f. 116 Miscellany of biblical and other texts (‘The Northern French Miscellany’ or earlier ‘the British Museum Miscellany’): including the Pentateuch, Haftarot, Tiqqun Sofrim, Five Scrolls, prayer book for the entire year with Haggadah, legal texts, poetry, calendars, Book of Tobit in Hebrew, etc. France, N. 1277-1286 [Link]
The Visconti Hours also has some cool architectural elements to it, but it’s a later period. It’s not tromp, but it’s still more realistic than earlier stuff. It’s not fully digitized online, but you can pick up a facsimile copy (with notes) for fairly cheap.
LF 155, Visconti Hours – The Gates of Gaza National Library, Florence Facsimile to purchase: [Abebooks]Facsimile in libraries: [Worldcat]
I hope that helps! Let me know if you need more. 🙂
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to reply to this with so much awesome stuff. I found so much stuff that I want to use for scrolls now. Omg, another scribe! <3 My scribal drug dealer (she keeps me stocked in oak gall ink and nibs as I slowly acquire all the tools for this) just gave me a book on calligraphy with all sorts of hands that actually have the names written out next to them (it’s glorious). I have bookmarked so much from this, because up until now I had the Web Gallery of Art, which works but is somewhat limited. I have a lot of bar and ivy inspiration from that one, so I can’t complain on that front. So diversifying my resources is a godsend.
That first one you embedded in the post? That is the one I’m using. I was told to keep it simple (what with the really tight time frame), but that one is perfect for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
You are so very welcome! I can’t wait to see what you come up with. And I have it in my head to do a post on calligraphy resources, so keep your eyes open. 🙂
By Teva Vidal PhD Dissertation, University of Nottingham, 2013
Abstract: This thesis examines the representations of houses as physical structures in the Íslendingasögur with specific emphasis on the material aspect of housing culture in the Viking Age and medieval period, as well as the interactions between material culture and text. The Íslendingasögur were written in Iceland as of the thirteenth century, but look back onto the Viking Age (c. 800-1100 AD). Comparison with the archaeology of domestic space reveals that the house in the Íslendingasögur generally corresponds with medieval housing models, contemporary with the period of saga writing. However, there are also examples of structures which correspond to the models of the Viking Age. Descriptions of antiquated buildings are sometimes framed in statements that make explicit reference to the chronological separation between the Viking Age and the writer’s present time, suggesting a familiarity with the evolution of housing culture.
Detailed analysis of buildings in the sagas reveals domestic space in its context of use, and demonstrates how the physical nature of the house and farm framed the productive and social activities that went on within. The materiality of domestic life has particular importance for the dispensing of hospitality. Demonstrations of domestic space in use also allow for a better understanding of the relationship between objects and language, and elucidate some difficulties in translation and academic usage both in archaeology and literary studies. Material culture can itself influence the processes of composition in oral/written narratives such as the sagas, by inspiring the formation of narrative episodes. The built environment can also provide a contextual framing for narratives, acting as a mnemonic device facilitating the preservation and transmission of saga narratives.
