The study of medieval manuscripts and early book culture is massive and specialized. The increasing sophistication, however, of digital technologies is making it easier to learn about manuscripts and examine them in detail.Below, I've gathered useful introductory resources to accompany the readings I assign in manuscript units.
Paleography is the study (and deciphering) of ancient handwriting. For why it matters, take a look at this great blog post explaining the whys by Dr. Teresa Webber. I don't spend much time on paleography in my medieval courses. Most students are doing well to conquer Middle English in typeset, normalized student editions, without tackling the vagaries of medieval scribes and their peculiarities.
In my medieval manuscripts course, we frequently work intently with Books of Hours -- digital facsimiles from other libraries as well as specimens available at the UGA Special Collections Library. The resources below are to help both the neophyte and the experienced student engage with these complex books. This page will be in constant evolution as the manuscript/Books of Hours courses shift; suggestions welcome.
Resources with an astericks (*) next to them are high quality scholarly sites; the rest are designed as basic material for students or the general public.
See also relevant authors on the Major Authors page.
Dr. Glenn, from the Universit of Central Arkansas, has put together this helpful introduction to Middle English romance's major structures and sub-types.
Trying to read your first lines of Middle English on your own? Reading an edition that never glosses the words you don't understand? Preparing for an oral reading? Writing a paper and wanting to talk about Chaucer's use of a certain word? Start here to get a handle on Middle English comprehension, pronunciation, and syntax (i.e., word order).
Yes, I do expect you to read Middle English aloud in class when asked to do so, and I expect you to do so in a reasonable approximation of a Middle English accent. Why? Two reasons:
Resources on Chaucer are so prolific that I have divided this resource list into sub-categories:
Chaucer Online: Includes both general interest and scholarly digital resources.
Chaucer Print Resources: Print research pointers for both beginning and advanced students.
