{"id":2154,"date":"2014-08-30T22:38:46","date_gmt":"2014-08-30T22:38:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/?page_id=2154"},"modified":"2014-11-07T04:46:52","modified_gmt":"2014-11-07T04:46:52","slug":"macgabhann-2014-congress","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/abstracts\/macgabhann-2014-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"MacGabhann (2014 Congress)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Donncha MacGabhann
\n(Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London<\/em>)
\n\u201cHalf-Uncial a<\/em> and Uncial a<\/em> at Line-Ends:
\nThe Division of Hands in the Book of Kells<\/em> and an Insight into the \u2018Calligraphic Imagination\u2019 Evident in the Script\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Abstract of Paper Presented at the 49th International Congress on Medieval Studies<\/strong> (Kalamazoo, May 2014)<\/p>\n

Session on \u201cIndividual Style or House Style?\u00a0\u00a0Assessing Scribal Contributions, Artistic Production, and Creative Achievements\u201d<\/strong>
\nSponsored by the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence<\/strong>
\nOrganized by Mildred Budny
\n2014 Congress Accomplished<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

[First published on our first website on 16 March 2014<\/em>]<\/p>\n

Regarding the Book of Kells<\/em> the palaeographer Erika Eisenlohr has stated that ‘the similarity or dissimilarity of hands has so far mainly been based on more general impressions of the scripts’ (1994).\u00a0\u00a0My PhD research attempts a more comprehensive investigation of the evidence that might enhance our understanding of the division of hands.\u00a0\u00a0This examination encompasses the illuminated pages, the script and illumination of the canon tables, the layout of the pages, and elements of text including punctuation, display scripts, decorated initials, standard script, and also elaborations to that script.\u00a0\u00a0It is one of these latter features that is the focus of the second part of this paper \u2014 uncial a<\/em> at line ends.\u00a0\u00a0The first part deals with half-uncial a<\/em> which is the form most commonly used in the manuscript.<\/p>\n

The paper begins with a brief summary of scholarly opinion on the division of hands in the book.\u00a0\u00a0Next I signal the similarities and differences that occur in the forms of half-uncial a<\/em> in a range of Insular manuscripts, and in particular the variations that occur in the work of different scribes working within the same manuscript as found in both Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 197B, and the Barberini Gospels.\u00a0\u00a0A detailed examination of half-uncial a<\/em> throughout the Book of Kells<\/em> shows a remarkable consistency, regardless of features such as size or ink colour.\u00a0\u00a0This examination does not appear to support the proposals by Fran\u00e7oise Henry (1974) and Bernard Meehan (1990) for the division of hands as three and four hands respectively.\u00a0\u00a0The evidence suggests rather that these letters are the work of a single scribe, in agreement with the conclusions of Peter Meyer (1950) and Julian Brown (1972), the latter describing the script in the Book of Kells<\/em> as the work of \u2018one great scribe\u2019.<\/p>\n

Next a detailed examination of uncial a<\/em> at line-ends in Kells<\/em> reveals a range of these letterforms which are subject to constant variation.\u00a0\u00a0There is a consistency in these variations which does not suggest that they are the work of different individuals.\u00a0\u00a0Rather they appear to reveal the ‘calligraphic imagination’ of a single scribe who seems determined to incorporate variation at every opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0This use of uncial a<\/em> is one of the features at line-ends cited by Julian Brown as showing ‘an impressive consistency’ in support of his suggestion that the script in Kells is the work of an individual.\u00a0\u00a0The evidence for both half-uncial a<\/em> and uncial a<\/em> at line-ends leads to conclusions that appear to confirm Brown\u2019s and Meyer\u2019s proposal for a single scribe in the Book of Kells<\/em>.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Note<\/strong>: This paper draws on three years of PhD research on the division of hands in the Book of Kells<\/em> under the supervision of Prof. Michelle Brown.\u00a0 It was the first paper in the series of Mr. MacGahbann’s papers on “The Division of Hands and an Insight into the ‘Calligraphic Imagination’ Evident in the Script” of the Book of Kells<\/em><\/strong> presented at conferences in 2014.\u00a0 The next were:<\/p>\n