Historians recently released a rare 13th-century document depicting the story of King Arthur and King Merlin – whose survival is considered a miracle.
The discovery was announced by the University of Cambridge on March 25. The manuscript is part of the suite Vulgate du Merlin, a French-language rendering of King Arthur’s story.
Arthur has been portrayed as the legendary Briton King for centuries, although most historians doubt his existence.
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In 2019, fragile manuscripts were found in an unlikely place in the Cambridge Library – hidden in a binding Old books.
“After the manuscript was recycled and reused in the 1500s, it has survived for centuries as the cover of property records Huntingfield Manor in SuffolkThe university’s statement noted that it was owned by the Vanneck family of Heveningham.
Cambridge University historians recently revealed rare literary descriptions of King Arthur. (Cambridge University Library/Chill)
“This means Outstanding discovery “It is folded, torn, or even sewn in the binding of the book – making it nearly impossible for Cambridge experts to access, read or confirm its origins,” the university said in a press release.
Thanks to modern technology – including multispectral imaging, computed tomography and 3D modeling – experts are able to scan and create virtual images of manuscripts without taking any damage.
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“Chil’s team uses mirrors, prisms, magnets and other tools [Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory] Each part of the clip was carefully photographed,” the university said.
“Then it worked hard to perform hundreds of results images Reassemble the numbers, Just like a puzzle, create a coherent image of the text. ”
“By manipulating digital images, teams can simulate the appearance of a document if it is physically opened.”
Each copy of the suite Vulgate du Merlin is unique and written separately by a scribe, the university said. (Cambridge University Library/Chill)
Each copy of Suite vulgate du Merlin is unique because they were handwritten by medieval scribes alone and less than 40 copies are known to exist.
The Cambridge copy was written between 1275 and 1315.
“This article is written in ancient French, the language of the courts and the medieval English nobles after the Norman conquest,” the press release said.
“This particular clip belongs to the genre of King Arthur’s romantic history [that] Designed to be provided to noble audiences, including women. ”
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The university added that the manuscript “concludes two key plots from the suite Vulgate du Merlin”.
“The first part tells the victory of Christians against the Saxons in the Battle of Cambinique,” the statement said. “It tells the battle of Gowan (his sword Excalibur, his Magrinlet and his supernatural powers), his brothers and his father King Loth with Saxon Kings dodalis, Moydas, Oriancés and Brandalus.”
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It continued: “The second paragraph proposes more A polite scene, Merlin disguised as a harpist’s feast was a feast on the assumption of Virgin Mary, which highlights his magic and the importance of being a king’s consultant. ”
Experts use modern techniques to “actually disassemble” the manuscript without damaging it. (Cambridge University Library/Chill)
The University of Cambridge even includes a translation paragraph of a book – in Medieval England.
“When they were rejoicing at the feast, and Seneschal Kay brought the first dish to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, but arrived at the handsomest man ever on Christian land.” “He shone in a silk top with gold and precious stones, glittered and illuminated the entire room.”
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Fragile documentation even contains small errors – for example calls King Saxon Dodalis “Dorilas” – But these mistakes will only help experts track down the manuscript’s lineage.
“Because every manuscript of this period was copied by hand, it means that each manuscript is unique and reflects the changes introduced by medieval scribes,” said the University of British.
The recently unveiled document depicts vivid pictures of medieval English life. (Cambridge University Library/Chill)
“The way the manuscript is carefully executed, adorned with abbreviations of red and blue, provides further clues to its origins and helps to show that it was produced between the late 13th and early 14th centuries.”
