Sipping the Tea

... Transcribing manuscripts.

I kid you not.

So this week, in Medieval Lit., Dr. K runs us through some important historical facts AND THEN we get to do some hands-on stuff. It's a 500-level course and I'm doing well in it - each day is an absolute delight.

And, of course, the Monty Python: Quest for the Holy Grail quotes don't too much harm either.

"And class, how do we know he's a king?"
"Because he hasn't got sh*t all over 'im."

Anyway, so this week it's transcribing and book-binding. Dr. K is a legit paleographist (yes, now I know why she can read my handwriting), knowledgeable in many languages, she's written many important essays and has an astounding collection of Monty Python paraphernalia. She's been everywhere in Europe, she's been allowed to read important stuff up close because she's special - and basically, if you couldn't tell - I highly admire her.

So she gave us all our own sheet (I was very excited about that), and gave us a letter chart to help us along.

Anyone tried to read middle english manuscripts? HAH. HAH.


http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwm...0/02100847.jpg

Right. So, she can read it as if she'd written it herself, basically, but we're all stumbling through, having a grand ol' time.

"What is that word - By Christ our Onion?"

And then part-way through- I was half-way out of my seat in excitement during all of this, by the way - I turned and sneezed into my arm (the server way, so that your blocking your whole face), trying to stifle the sound and germs. It was a great, loud sneeze though, that stopped the whole class.

So I sniffed and said, "Oh dear, I don't think that was a part of it."

And everyone laughed, but Dr. K said, in her most serious voice, "I don't know, it might explain the little splotches."

Then of course, I pictured a scribe all bent over his manuscript and accidentally sneezing and then bursting into tears because this page has taken A WEEK TO DO.

I don't know, I thought it was morbidly funny.

So we went through half of mine, but... well. I blanked out for the last fifteen minutes of the class as I tried to decipher the words. Well, I...

I effing loved it. I was having so much fun. I mean, I've always wanted to do things like this (I've always wanted to be Indiana Jones, go to ancient places, decipher old runes), but I've never had the chance to take many languages. I felt like I was bridging a huge space of time with each word I figured out- each one a revelation, a goal reached.

Naturally, when I got home, I e-mailed her what I had transcribed (for her to check) and asked if I could have another one, and she e-mailed me the correct bit -

It was SO close.

She did send me another and wrote back:

"That's very good, by the way...you have an eye for this..."

Which made me beam.

Paleography is a rare study and obviously you have to be absolutely crazy to enjoy trying to figure out if those three little markings are and where the hell did that word go and oh my god that splotch just ruined the whole word and now the whole sentence makes no sense-

I must be crazy. And maybe I've found a hint of a direction. I just pictured myself, in my own little cottage, chortling madly over a new piece of vellum with splotchy writing on it that I get to work with - putting aside my book for the day because I needed to break anyway. Sip the tea, pet the cat, get to work!

Not telling my Dad about THIS one.