11Th Century Beneventan Script Anyone?

[HDoug]

Just came across this in a post at Dianne's Medieval Writing blog and thought it interesting.

I've seen how ascenders can become a subtle reverse "S" in curvature but I've never seen the small minims as exaggerated reverse "s" forms. But it does create an interesting script, I thought. Just sharing.

 

Here it is in context:

Has anyone seen this used in modern calligraphy?

 

Doug

[Charles Rice]

Is that a song?

[MisterBoll]

Thank you! Beautiful script.

[caliken]

Has anyone seen this used in modern calligraphy?

 

 

This is a very beautiful script. IMO

 

I've never seen it in a modern context.

[Charles Rice]

I think it's very interesting for the musical notation.

[caliken]

I think it's very interesting for the musical notation.

I think that it's probably a chant.

[Charles Rice]

I think that it's probably a chant.

My guess, too.

 

Yup that's what it is.

 

For fun I went to Wikipedia and looked at Gregorian Chants. Interesting - (though I can't stomach listening to them)

Edited April 14, 2014 by Charles Rice

[HDoug]

Yes indeed, it is a chant. Here's an excerpt from the complete description of the entire manuscript at the British Library:

 

"c 1075-c 1080, The roll includes the Exultet, a hymn sung by a deacon during the consecration of the Paschal candle, during the Easter Vigil, incipit: 'Exultet iam angelica turba coelorum'."

 

Doug

[mboschm]

It's neumatic notation, basically it says whether the music stays "flat" or goes up or down, it served basically as an aid for oral transmission of sung music, of course, without references (i.e. from which note it starts and "how high means going high") you need someone to teach it to you, the symbols are just help to remember it.

[inkstainedruth]

Very cool. Thanks for posting the link. I'd never heard of this hand before. Anyone know if the complete (well, for that time period -- I forget when W comes in but J is a very late split off from I as a separate letter, and consequently, a separate sound/pronunciation) alphabet is represented in the manuscript?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[HDoug]

Both J and W are missing from Dianne Tillotson's alphabet of Beneventan at the bottom of her post here.

 

Doug