T h e  V i r t u a l  A b b e y : A  M e d i e v a l  T o u r
Abbey Entrance | Herb Garden | Scriptorium | Wine Cellar

Anthropomorphic Initial	Hard Point	Pen
Antiphonal	Herbal	Pigment
Bestiary	Historiated Initial	Pounce
Boards	Hymnal	Pricking
Books of Hours	Illuminator	Psalter
Breviary	Initial	Purple Pages
Carolingian	Ink	Rubricator
Colophon	Insular	Ruling
Diaper	Knife	Saints' Lives
Divine Office	Lead Point	Scribe
Drollery	Marginalia	Script
Evangelistic Portraits	Miniature	Scriptorium
Exemplar	Mise-en-Page	Underdrawing
Foliate Initial	Oak Gall	Vellum
Gesso	Outline Drawing	Vernacular
Gilding	Palimpset	Zoomorphic
Gloss	Parchment

 

Anthropomorphic Initial - a decorated Initial formed from the human figure.

Antiphonal - large format book of songs and chants intended for The Divine Office and usually displayed on a lectern to be read by an entire choir.

Bestiary - book of real or imaginary animals commonly described in terms of popular wisdom rather than scientific method, i.e., in the Aberdeen Bestiary, left, in which we learn that dogs are "the most intelligent of all animals and are devoted to humans..."; the most elaborate bestiaries are those from the British Isles and French versions written in the Vernacular.

Boards - hardwood covers of medieval manuscripts surrounded in soft leather to guard against dust, humidity and bookworms.

Books of Hours - book for private devotions containing prayers for different hours of the day. Its humble beginnings were traced to 10th century monastic life. Their secular appeal grew proportionately to the 'eye candy' (who said it originated with the Web?) that was employed in illuminating dramatic Biblical scenes and the lives of popular saints. Small and prettily decorated, among the best-known books of hours include the 13th century Trés Riches Heures.

Breviary - service book essential to the medieval monastery for celebrating The Divine Office in daily recitation.

Carolingian - the manuscript style named for the 8th century Carolingian Empire under whose rule Charlemagne ordered monasteries begin using the neat, easily read script, Carolingian Minuscule - in some ways a natural progression of Insular:

Colophon - primarily important to historians for providing the name the scribe and illustrator, the owner of the manuscript, or the person who commissioned it (also see Scribe). Colophons may also include the monks' own and often jaded, personal endnotes, i.e.,

"Let God increase sense for those who desire to write."

"Writing is excessive drudgery. It crooks your back, it dims your sight, it twists your stomach, and your sides."

"Here ends the second part of the title work of Brother Thomas Aquinas of the Dominican Order; very long, very verbose; and very tedious for the scribe; thank God, thank God, and again thank God."

"If anyone take away this book, let him die the death, let him be fried in a pan; let the falling sickness and fever seize him; let him be broken on the wheel, and hanged. Amen."

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