Reading the Medieval Latin Manuscript

An Introduction to Latin Paleography and Manuscript Codicology

Raymond Clemens, Illinois State University

This course will introduce the most important manuscript hands of high and late medieval Europe. In addition to instruction in the particulars of individual scripts, learning to decode abbreviations, punctuation, and other manuscript marks will be covered. The course will also provide an introduction to the production, storage, and cataloging of manuscripts and will survey the basic manuscript types that most students will encounter at some point in their career.

Each week students will devote time to examining the manuscripts in the Newberry’s extensive collection of medieval manuscripts and fragments.

Participants: Peter Bovenmyer, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kathleen Burt, Marquette University; Alison Cornish, University of Michigan; Joseph Derosier, Northwestern University; Jennifer Frey, Loyola University Chicago; Justin Hastings, Loyola University Chicago; Dmitri Sandbeck, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Martin Schwarz, University of Chicago; Nancy Thebaut, University of Chicago; Matthew Westerby, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Elizabeth Woodward, University of Chicago; and Demetrio Yocum, University of Notre Dame.

Prerequisites: Reading knowledge of Latin is required; reading knowledge of German, Italian, or French helpful but not necessary.

Learn more about Center for Renaissance Studies programs for graduate students.