Before William Caxton introduced printing to England all texts needed to be copied
manually. This Hauptseminar is dedicated to some of the most important manuscripts
produced in England between the 8th and the 15th century, such as the Lindisfarne
Gospels, the Beowulf Manuscript and the Ellesmere Chaucer. We will discuss their role
in textual transmission, put them into their larger context and outline the development of
script and spelling during the medieval period on the basis of several illustrations. This
interdisciplinary course deals with linguistic, literary and cultural elements and is
suitable for students of both Old English and Middle English.
Textbook:
J. Roberts, Guide to Scripts Used in English Writings Up To 1500 (London, 2005).
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