Manuscripts – Thijs Porck

6 Jan 2021 thijsporck Latin, Zürich, Zentralbibliothek, Ms. C 78

Missing line of 1400-year old poem found! Columbanus’s ‘De mundi transitu’ once more complete!

A 9th-century scribe's mistake can now finally be remedied.

20 Dec 202021 Dec 2020 thijsporck BL, Royal 7 C XII, Christ III, Old age, Old English poetry, Parker Library, CCCC MS 302, Vercelli Book

Heaven is a place without old age: Age and the afterlife in early medieval England

From the Viking mead drinking in Valhalla to the unending punishments of the Greek underworld, the afterlife has always been an imaginative place. In this blog post, I survey how the afterlife was conceptualised in early medieval England, in particular with reference to 'old age'. Heaven is a place without old age The prime place … Continue reading Heaven is a place without old age: Age and the afterlife in early medieval England

26 Oct 202026 Oct 2020 thijsporck BL, Cotton Faustina A.ix, Blickling Homilies, Manuscripts, Parker Library, CCCC MS 41, Vercelli Book

“Men þa leofestan!” Manuscript variations of an Old English formula

"Men þa leofestan!" This blog post deals with the ways in which a very common Old English phrase was differentiated by early medieval English scribes.

15 Sep 202015 Sep 2020 thijsporck BL, Cotton Domitian A.viii, BL, Cotton Tiberius A.vi, BL, Cotton Tiberius B.i, BL, Cotton Tiberius B.iv, Bodleian Library, Laud Misc. 636, Manuscripts, Parker Library, CCCC MS 173

When medieval chroniclers have nothing to report: The years 190-381 in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The manuscripts of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle show a fascinating variety, even in those annals for which there was little to nothing to report.

27 Jul 2020 thijsporck Bede, Beowulf, Medievalism, Parker Library, CCCC MS 41

From Bede (731) to BONE (1991-2004): A sparrow’s flight through the ages

This blog post looks at how Bede's famous parable of the sparrow was reused in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

5 Jul 20205 Jul 2020 thijsporck Bamberg, Staatsbibiliothek, Patr. 87, BL, Cotton Claudius A.iii, BL, Royal 8 C III, Bodleian Library, Douce 140, Manuscripts, Missionaries

Triangular texts in three manuscripts from early medieval England

Why did some Anglo-Saxon manuscripts have triangular texts? And where did they get this idea from?

9 Jun 20209 Jul 2020 thijsporck Animals, Daily life, Parker Library, CCCC MS 173, Vikings

What’s in a place name? The toponymy of early medieval England

What do place names tells us about the early history of England?

18 May 202024 May 2020 thijsporck Alfred the Great, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, Barberini Gospels, Bayeux Tapestry, Bodleian Library, Bodley 579, Bodleian Library, Hatton 20, Manuscripts, Medievalism, Old English Hexateuch, The Last Kingdom (BBC), Vespasian Psalter, Vikings (History Channel)

Medieval manuscripts in modern media: Anglo-Saxon manuscripts spotted in Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.

Find out which Anglo-Saxon manuscripts found their way into Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla!

3 May 202024 May 2020 thijsporck Archaeology, BL, Cotton Vitellius C.iii, BL, Harley 585, Bodleian Library, Auct. F. 3. 6, Medieval medicine, Old English

Dwarf begone! Five early medieval ways to rid yourself of dwarfs

Are dwarfs getting you down? Here are five early medieval remedies that may help!

1 Mar 202024 May 2020 thijsporck Animals, BL, Cotton Tiberius B.v, BL, Cotton Vitelius A.xv, BL, Cotton Vitellius C.iii, Cambridge, UL, MS Ii.1.33, Manuscripts, Parker Library, CCCC MS 302, Tolkien

The Medieval in Middle-earth: Anglo-Saxon Elephants and Tolkien’s Oliphaunts

Learn more about the medieval material that inspired Tolkien's Oliphaunts!