Quill Pen cut from a goose feather.

Lines I calligraphied from Beowulf in the original Old English.

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Medieval Manuscripts

Illlumination in Medieval Manuscripts

Instructions and information about:

• Sequence of work when illuminating a page.
• Gilding & Gesso preparation
• How to prepare and cut a quill pen from a feather
• Vellum & Parchment

Paleographic Observations about the Beowulf Script

The Beowulf script presents several interesting puzzles.  My research on the history of the scripts and the technical aspects of creating them will be invaluable in making a second attempt at the Beowulf script.

Calligraphy of Lines from Beowulf

My first attempt at calligraphy. The three passages were copied from a facsimile of the Beowulf Manuscript using a modern metal nib and modern ink.

Critical Edition of Three Passages in Beowulf (PDF File 188k)

My own interpretation of the punctuation and spelling of three passages of Old English text that deal with music and harps. I also include my own translation and a comparison of other popular translations of Beowulf. (This has to be a PDF in order to display the Old English letters which Modern English no longer uses.)