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2 clusters · 6 sources · 14 days · First seen · Last updated
Medieval manuscript discovery in Guernsey
Overview
The discovery of 17 medieval manuscript fragments in Guernsey has provided new evidence regarding the island’s historical literary and intellectual life. Dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries, the fragments were found after being repurposed as protective vellum covers for administrative registers and rent books during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Initial findings indicated that the fragments, which include biblical passages, an Ovid poem, and a play, suggest that Guernsey residents possessed broad literary tastes and primarily read in French.
Subsequent details revealed that the collection includes a fragment of ‘L’Estoire de Griseldis’, a dramatic poem attributed to Philippe de Mézières around 1395. This specific version is considered exceptionally rare, surviving in only one other known manuscript and two 16th-century printed editions. The presence of these texts suggests that medieval literature reached audiences well beyond the French courtly circles where such works were thought to have circulated.
Entities
Guernsey · University of Oxford · Philippe de Mézières · University of Kent · Guernsey Island Archives
Timeline
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6 days ago
[CULTURE] 3 sourcesGuernsey archives reveal rare medieval manuscript fragmentsSeventeen medieval manuscript fragments discovered in Guernsey reveal a richer reading culture on the island than previously thought, including a rare version of a 14th-century dramatic poem.
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19 days ago
[CULTURE] 3 sourcesGuernsey manuscript discovery reveals medieval literary lifeThe discovery of 17 medieval manuscript fragments in Guernsey reveals the island's diverse literary culture and French-language reading habits between the 12th and 15th centuries.
Sources
ca.sports.yahoo.com · dagens.com · dailygeekshow.com · guardianweekly.co.uk · lagacetaonline.com.ar · uk.news.yahoo.com