Manuscripts

I actually quite enjoyed reading the essential reading listed for the manuscript. I found it interesting that the pages started out from a papyrus weave and eventually evolved into parchment and finally onto paper.

I was surprised at how involved the christian churches were in the whole development of the manuscript to book form, and that education was prized within the church and so therefore books in general were considered very important and so the book developed alongside the popularity and expansion of the church. In particular the Benedictines carrying and enforcing education and scholastic merit with them. I think thats pretty cool for a bunch of Christian monks :) And for them to be renoun for such.

I don't know why but i'm always impressed by how such practical matters alter history and the course of evolution... such as the Franciscans and Dominicans dictating the size of a book (from large to pocket size) because they travelled and needed smaller books to carry more easily. It seems so logical... and yet I find it facsinating.

There seemed to be awfully lot involved in the production of a manuscript and just the sheer numbers of how many hands it went through in that process to create a codex manuscript (Illuminators, scribes, rubricators, artists, binders, correctors). As an artist myself, I found myself sympathising with the illuminators and artists who had no create control of their projects. Yet also recognised a current day theme of supply and demand :) Especially so in my graphics fields.

What I also found cool was that in using imagery throughout the religious manuscripts (sometimes the big supersized bibles that were read) - the visuals aided the text of the story and helped the readers tell the story - as literacy wasn't as common place as it is today. I thought that was really inventive... and yet seems so logical as well. Also the visuals could be seen from afar and glinted impressive gold highlights to the audience? church patrons? fellow christians :)