Hand: Main Hand, Edinburgh, UL Laing Charter 18

Name
Main Hand
Manuscript
Edinburgh, UL Laing Charter 18
Script
Unspecified
Scribe
Unspecified
Date
Saec. xi1
Place
WiOM

Stokes, English Vernacular Script, ca 990–ca 1035, Vol. 2 (PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006)

This irregular and messy hand was written with a medium-width pen and some shading; letters vary quite a bit, as does the cue-height. Ascenders vary but are usually long, fairly straight, and with small wedges. Descenders can be quite short and tapering. Minims have approach-strokes or large blobby wedges and lack feet; they tend to be fairly upright, but are often quite rounded, particularly in m and n. Teardrop-shaped a was used throughout, the back of which is usually quite vertical but can be angled as much as 60° or so and often descends slightly below the bottom of the bowl. A similar construction was used for æ, the loop of which is rounded and always low even when ligatured with following t, and the tongue is straight and rising. Round c was used throughout, and d has a straight back angled at about 30–40°. Horned e is found, the back of which is vertical, the tongue thin, straight and rising, and the hook sometimes flat and slightly open. The tongue of f can be long or short, and the hook is rounded and can rise above cue-height. The angular mid-section of g hangs from the right of the flat top-stroke, and the tail is open and curved up slightly at the tip; the letter is therefore 3-shaped. The shoulders of h, m, and n are quite rounded and branch from below cue-height, but r tends to be more angular and to have a straighter down-stroke which turns out in a horizontal hook. Tall, low, and round s were all used; the tall form is most frequent and apears in all positions, low s is only found finally, and round s only once (geres, line 9). Tall s varies in form but can sit on the base-line and usually has a long arching hook which can reach well over the following letter. Low s is deeply split, and the hook can also reach above cue-height, and round s was clumsily formed, is disproportionately large, and extends slightly above cue-height and below the base-line. A clumsy, forward-leaning s+t ligature is also found in the name alhstan epis. The scribe preferred ð to þ, using the former in all positions and the latter only initially and in the name-element æþel (but note æðered, name 6 in column 2). The form of ð is much like that of d but usually with a longer back which can turn up at the tip or be slightly wedged, and the through-stroke is hooked down at the tip. The south-west arm of x reaches well below the base-line. Round and straight-limbed undotted y were used. The top of 7 is relatively short and has a prominent upward hook on the left; it then rises before turning down with a straight but slightly angled descender. The only Latin is the opening formula which is not distinguished by script.

No Page associated to this record
No Annotation associated to this record