Textual Criticism and Codicology
Description:
This series of eight seminars introduces students to the unique difficulties of
finding, editing, and interpreting literary texts from a pre-print culture, and offers
first-hand instruction in the skills editors and literary critics of medieval texts
require to overcome these difficulties. Three or four seminars will focus on
problems relating to textual editing, with another three to four on problems
relating to palaeographical (handwriting) and codicological (book as artefact)
issues. The remaining seminar will offer the opportunity for first-hand
examination of medieval manuscripts under the guidance of the convenor.
Learning Outcomes will include:
 Enhanced appreciation of the difficulties of establishing the authorial text
of medieval literary works and basic skills for preparing editions of such
works;
 Ability to read a medieval literary text in its original context, the
handwritten book;
 Confidence in handling and examining medieval manuscripts;
 Knowledge of the vocabulary of manuscript description and ability to
apply information acquired from first-hand examination of manuscript
context to the interpretation of texts.
Teaching Programme:
Eight two-hour seminars covering these topics among others:
The text in pre-print culture: differences among editions
Editing Middle English texts: some practical problems
Authorial and authoritative text: The Canterbury Tales; how to examine
manuscripts
First-hand examination of manuscript books (York Minster Archives)
Structures of medieval manuscripts: Quires, booklets, composite
manuscripts, antiquarian compilations (Mooney & Vorholt)
Materials of medieval manuscripts: Paper, Parchment, (Mooney &
Fiddyment)
Language/Spellings and provenance
Artistic content of medieval manuscripts (Mooney & Nuechterlein)
Preliminary Reading:
de Hamel, Christopher. Scribes and Illuminators. in the British Library's 'Medieval
Craftsmen' series, 4th imprint. London: British Library, 1995.
York Libraries: KM LF 5.6 DEH
JBM LF 5.6 DEH
Minster Library, Hailstone Wing 091 DEH
Doyle, A. I. and Parkes, M. B. ‘The Production of Copies of the Canterbury Tales
and the Confessio Amantis in the Early Fifteenth Century’ in Parkes, M. B. and
Watson, A. G. (eds), Medieval Scribes, Manuscripts, and Libraries: Essays
Presented to N. R. Ker, London: Scolar, 1978): 163-210; repr. Scribes, Scripts and
Readers: Studies in the Communication, Presentation and Dissemination of
Medieval Texts. London: Hambledon Press, 1991, pp. 201-48.
York Libraries: JBM 090.4 MED
KM ground 090.4 MED (2 copies)