Intro to Transitional Gothic Script: Medieval Manuscripts
Learn to read 12th-century handwriting and explore the world of medieval manuscripts in this Harvard course.
Learn to read 12th-century handwriting and explore the world of medieval manuscripts in this Harvard course.
Dive into the fascinating world of medieval paleography with this course from Harvard. Focus on the Transitional Gothic script of the 12th century, a pivotal era in Western European manuscript production. Learn to decipher ancient handwriting, understand abbreviations, and read entire blocks of text from this period. Work with actual manuscripts from Harvard's Houghton library, gaining insights into the cultural landscape of 12th-century monasteries and schools. Through hands-on practice and assessments, you'll develop the skills to unlock the secrets of countless unidentified medieval texts, opening new doors for historical and literary research.
Instructors:
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What you'll learn
Recognize and read the Transitional Gothic script used in 12th-century manuscripts
Understand the basic form of each letter in the Transitional Gothic alphabet
Decipher standard abbreviations commonly used in medieval manuscripts
Identify patterns of abbreviation that influenced writing in later periods
Analyze variations of the script used for notations and glosses
Develop skills to approach and read manuscripts from later medieval periods
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
Live video
Quizzes, assessments
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Limited Access access
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Module Description
This course provides an in-depth introduction to medieval paleography, focusing on the Transitional Gothic script of the 12th century. Students will learn to read and interpret manuscripts from this pivotal period in Western European history, when manuscript production saw an unprecedented increase. The course covers the basic forms of each letter, standard abbreviations, and patterns of abbreviation that influenced writing in later periods. Participants will work with selected manuscripts from Harvard's Houghton library, gaining practical experience in deciphering real medieval texts. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on practice, with quizzes and assessments to track progress in reading skills. While some knowledge of Latin is helpful, the course is designed to be accessible to those without extensive language background, offering insights into the cultural world of 12th-century monasteries and schools.
Fee Structure
Instructor
Distinguished Medieval Scholar and Expert on Religious Women's History
Beverly Mayne Kienzle served as the John H. Morison Professor of the Practice in Latin and Romance Languages at Harvard Divinity School until her retirement in 2015. Her scholarly work has significantly advanced our understanding of medieval religious texts, particularly in the areas of sermon studies, women's religious history, and the works of Hildegard of Bingen.
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