A Study in Fragments
Hidden between the pages of these rare books are forgotten manuscript fragments from centuries past.
Introduction
It is often said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. What a strange irony it is, then, that much of what we know of human history, belief, and achievement has been gleaned from the detritus of empires risen and fallen across time.
This is especially true for the written word. Only a fraction of written works produced throughout the whole of human history survive today, and many of them have survived only by chance – hidden away in a cupboard in the cellar, tossed out a window to evade fire, mouldering in tombs, repurposed to wrap parcels or even used to bind modern books.
A window to the past, hidden in plain sight.
Not all extant works have survived in their entirety. Indeed, some have survived only in part, even in small fragments of what was once a beautiful whole. But even these fragments offer us another window into the past, through which we might gain a deeper understanding of the world as it was a given time.
As literacy rates increased across Medieval Europe, so also did demand for written works. Europe entered the second millennium of the common area with novel advances in the production of manuscripts, resulting in the creation of a vast network of scriptoria across the continent. From Christian monasteries to the first universities and early print shops, medieval manuscript production was an in-demand art, as was the relatively new craft of bookbinding.
As the medieval period waned and the Renaissance was born, fragments of parchment from earlier medieval manuscripts were often used to help construct or reinforce the bindings of new, early modern books.
These fragments, once thought to be little more than trash, have now to us become precious treasures – but oftentimes, we don’t even realize they exist. They rest between the covers of many early modern books, silently waiting to be given new life and attention.
The beauty of a fragment is that it still supports the hope of brilliant completeness.
Tobias Wolff
Libraries around the world – Western University included – often preserve fragments of very old medieval manuscripts within early modern books without even knowing they are there.
Context
Fragments of parchment from earlier medieval manuscripts were often used to help construct or reinforce the bindings of early modern books. These fragments often belonged to manuscripts which were much older than the books in which they were found.
Because the text of these fragments was not typically erased before re-purposing them for bookbinding, it is often possible to read and analyze the text on a fragment in order to identify the work from which it was drawn. We can also estimate the approximate date when the manuscript was first produced.
Because these fragments could be drawn from manuscripts much older than the early modern books in which they survive, libraries around the world, Western included, preserve tantalizing fragments of very old medieval manuscripts hidden throughout early modern book collections.
Preliminary investigation at Western has already identified manuscript fragments dating from the early 12th century, and our rare books librarian is aware of several other fragments yet to be investigated. It is highly probable that many fragments have yet even to be discovered, let alone explored.
Methodology
This research project focuses on manually searching early modern books in Western’s collection with the aim of identifying any manuscript fragments which may be hidden within them.
Identify and record fragments
Each fragment found within an early modern book is logged and noted according to the work in which it is found, its location within the book itself, and suggestions for which medieval work the fragment may belong to.
Codicological & Palaeographical Analysis
Each fragment is analyzed, considering the following:
- Writing support used
- Script in which text is written
- Method of ruling
- Text decoration (ink colours used, initials, rubrication, etc.)
All data is catalogued in a master spreadsheet along with photos of each finding.
Life is a fragment, a moment between two eternities.
William Ellery Channing
Summary of Findings
200
Early Modern Books Reviewed
16
Books Containing Fragments
62
Individual Fragments Recovered
Subject Matter
The books in which we have found manuscript fragments fall into four general categories.
Christian Theology
6 books
History of Medicine
6 books
Classical History
1 book
English Literature
2 books
Languages
While nearly all of the fragments found so far contain text written in Latin, we also found fragments in Dutch and Hebrew.
A number of additional fragments are in languages as yet unidentified – possibly German, or even Middle English.
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Latin
The vast majority of fragments found thus far are written in Latin.
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Dutch
One book of medical works contained fragments written in Dutch.
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Hebrew
One fragment was written in Hebrew.
Voices Through the Ages
The manuscript fragments vary in size, shape, content, and condition, but they all represent threads from various parts of human history. Woven together, these threads offer us a rich and intricate view of the evolution of human thought and experience.
Highlights
Among the many fascinating fragments uncovered so far, a few stand out due to their rarity, variety, and historical significance.
At least three large fragments from two different texts give us insight into medieval canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.
A book lauding the life of St Francis of Assisi contained two fragments of sacred music.
One small book contained fragments from three different works!
Dive into the Details
History speaks through these rediscovered manuscript fragments. Take a more in-depth look at our findings.
Moving Forward
The Manuscript Fragments project is ongoing – there are countless fragments still awaiting discovery within Western’s archives.
By photographing, cataloguing, and creating a digital record of all fragments we find, this research makes it possible to collaborate with scholars, projects, and institutions around the world.
Together, we can work towards reuniting manuscript fragments which have been scattered throughout the world, allowing us to discover, recover, and more deeply explore fragmented ancient and medieval works. More than that, we could potentially uncover previously unknown or even unique works which grant us new insights into human history and civilization.
What we have in part, we could soon make whole, and the possibilities are endless.
Next Steps
Here’s how we will move the Manuscript Fragments project forward.
Search the 17th Century Collection
While the initial phase of this project focused on the 16th century books in Western’s early modern collection, there are thousands more to explore in latter centuries!
Develop a Fragment Catalogue for Western Libraries
Develop a method of cataloguing manuscript fragments within Western’s collection so they are searchable, making it possible for future scholars to pursue research.
Document Fragments Found
We will continue documenting fragments by photographing them in place, recording relevant data, and transcribing them where we can.
Collaborate with Fragmentarium
Fragmentarium is a digital laboratory specialized for the research of medieval manuscript fragments. By adding Western’s manuscript fragments to the database, we can collaborate on a global scale.