Script styles in the X Century.

June 30, 2009

Antifonario de León, Kingdom of Asturias, year 672 A.D. Visigoth-Carolingian mixed Script. Preromanic art.

http://www.saber.es/web/imagenes/galeria/estampas-vida-leon/20.jpg

Vitae Patrum, Kingdom of Asturias, year 902 A.D. Visigoth Script. The oldest known Codex. Written by Abad Trasamund.

http://www.arteguias.com/imagenes2/vitaepatrum.jpg

Text from the norther kingdom of Navarra, Spain, manuscript dated early 950 A.D. Visigoth Script

http://www.vallenajerilla.com/berceo/silvaverastegui/jacobangelbeatoacademia1.jpg

Codex Gothicus Legionensis, Kingdom AsturLeonés, north of Spain, year 960 A.D. Carolingian Script.

http://www.vallenajerilla.com/albeldense/alvaidaurbem.jpg

Scriptorium Albedensis, year 976 A.D. Contains the first Arabic numerals in the West.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Codex_Vigilanus_Primeros_Numeros_Arabigos.jpg

From the same Codex Vigilianus or Albedensis:

http://www.vallenajerilla.com/berceo/silvaverastegui/semisolemnevigila1.jpg

Historia Roderici, Latin, 1080-1090

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Historia_Roderici.jpg

Edited June 30, 2009 by Ondina

June 30, 2009

Ondina,

Those are truly beautiful works of art as well as great calligraphy.

I was not aware the Southern European work was this advanced in form at this time. Although I should have been.

Thanks for the postings.

July 1, 2009

I have been utterly impressed myself, Randall, due to having family over, we've had the chance to see some of them first hand -no cameras allowed- and if these were not impressive enough, there are thousands of previous small, loose leaves and documents perfectly preserved and of hardly describable beauty that date back to the II and Ist Century B.C. The heart and origin of the Western civilization is buried in these small Christian Kingdoms of North Spain. Written not only by clergy but also by bards, scribes and scholars/students, reflect an amazing level of rich social & cultural life and they are illustrated in such a unique and stunningly beautiful art that the only way to believe it is having it in front of your eyes. A surreal air of arcane times.

Off topic but worth to see:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/2300017730_101dc6d320.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1220/918458095_33bc5fe426.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/2814653880_effbc1f770.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/2967026709_e32c8855d0.jpg

Edited July 1, 2009 by Ondina

July 1, 2009

Oooo.... Ahhhh..... (to both sets of pictures).

July 1, 2009

Great touch of history, I'm fascinated! Thanks for sharing, Ondina.

July 1, 2009

A surreal air of arcane times.

Thanks for posting these. Wonderful documents and images!

July 3, 2009

I seem to remember (from where, I can't say) an article talking about the origins of the Julian family of Rome. The one that produced Julius Caesar (sp?), among other illustrious citizens. They were originally from Spain, I think, this area? Just know that the Spanish influence on calligraphy and art has been often overlooked.

Would love to have six months to tour Spain, France, Europe in general. Get on the train, ride for a while, stop for a meal and stay overnight wherever ... Oh, well, maybe some year.

Thanks for sharing, Ondina. Blessed be,

July 6, 2009

Hi Randall, you got me on this one Being my own background science, the members of the family specialized in History had to be consulted!. Please feel free to correct any errors, I'm citing by heart.

The Julio-Claudian dynasty normally refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula (Gaius), Claudius, and Nero. Imperator Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus or Julius Caesar showed such wild passion for Hispania and specifically for the Betica that he must still have some descendants there. (Not the whole peninsula was under their control, the norther kingdoms, specifically the Asturorum Regnum stubbornly resisted the invasion to finally became only partially controlled, mainly due to the interest on its rich gold and silver mines)

The econogeopolitical influence of Hispania was critical for the empire (It is said Romans were seduced by Greece but married Hispania). Five Roman Emperors (Caesars) were born in this Roman province, some of them the most egregious of the Empire; Galba, Trajanus, Adrianus, Maximus, Teodosium. Celebrated senators, generals and poets such as Lucius Seneca were also born there. The relation continued much further than the existence of the Roman Empire and 4 popes and the infamous Borgia family come from the Mediterranean area of Spain, but keep in mind that at the time they were considered as Roman as when later on the situation reverted and first the Crown of Aragón (1200's) and then the Spanish Empire took over ( till the 1714) a good part of what today is Italy, people born in Rome, Naples or Sicily were considered full-right Spaniards.

The previously shown manuscripts and photos are from, then, an area free of romanization (thus called pre-romanic art) and that actively fought it. The military insistence of Rome was based in the gold/silver mines, not in taming the indomitable Celts&Visigoths of the northern, cold, misty and inhospitable Atlantic territories.

As for the influence in art....prehistoric paintings in Europe have been dated by radiocarbon -the surperficial ones- in at least 32.000 years B.D (Aurignacian). As the cave locations were used over many centuries, paintings overlapped and specialist are reluctant to confirm any previous date due to possible contamination of samples. But some are thought to be up to 80.000 B.D. The later Magdalenian period (14.000 B.D.) is superb. Hardly describable. Our great-great.....grandparents were pretty ingenious and artistic, yes. Art and calligraphy from the area from the I century A.D.are not very well known by the masses but of unique and delicate beauty.

You should do that trip, if once. Worth a life time of indelible sensations & memoirs.

Edited July 7, 2009 by Ondina