The 12C tympanum from the now-lost abbey church of Egmond idetifies St Peter, the main figure on the relief, by an inscription in faulty Freek. In this article the use of Greek lettering is... Show moreThe 12C tympanum from the now-lost abbey church of Egmond idetifies St Peter, the main figure on the relief, by an inscription in faulty Freek. In this article the use of Greek lettering is analyzed and conclusions are drawn concerning the intended audience of the the tympanum and its original location. Show less
This dissertation aims to identify women’s participation in the manuscript culture of the “Twelfth-Century Renaissance” (c.1075 – c.1225) in Western Europe. Historically considered to be a... Show moreThis dissertation aims to identify women’s participation in the manuscript culture of the “Twelfth-Century Renaissance” (c.1075 – c.1225) in Western Europe. Historically considered to be a period dominated by men, this study will argue that women actively participated in book culture. By paying attention to the books that women owned, commissioned and copied, this study will assess the female experience as reader, scribe and patron. Unique to this proposal is the examination of gender in relation to manuscript studies, specifically codicology (the study of books as physical objects). First, this study examines the types of books owned by both religious and secular women (prayer books, books of hours, poetry) and the types of books they produced (liturgical books, theological works, correspondence). Here, the study will consider questions related to women’s education and literacy, social status and reading patterns. Second, it aims to identify specific physical characteristics that are unique to the appearance of medieval manuscripts produced by women and for women, such as reading aids, page layouts and script. Can these features illustrate the explicit and implicit demands of women for various types and styles of books? Show less
This dissertation examines how Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Fécamp designed, produced, and read books over the course of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The first part connects the... Show moreThis dissertation examines how Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Fécamp designed, produced, and read books over the course of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The first part connects the devotional reading practice of lectio divina with the design of the material book and argues that Fécamp scribes purposefully tailored many of their books to suit this particular mode of divine reading. The second part addresses the small number of books from the Fécamp collection with characteristics that do not reflect conventional understandings of how lectio divina was practiced – they imply a different mode of devotional reading that required a selective approach to the text. Moreover, the design of these books also bear a striking resemblance to those produced much later (c. 1200-1300) and in a much different context: the urban schools of Western Europe. While this dissertation explores the parallels in book design and reading practices uncovered between Fécamp and the later scholastic environment, I demonstrate that these books (and this second mode of devotional reading) can also be explained in the context of traditional Benedictine devotion. Show less
