Hand: Hand 3 (1rv), Copenhagen, RAP 660–663

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

This hand has round bodies, a relatively flat cue-height, and square proportions; the pen is of moderate thickness and shading, and was held at about 50°. Ascenders are short, often less than minim-length, with somewhat ill-formed wedges. Descenders are similar or slightly longer, and are always straight. Minims have small feet, and also approach-strokes which are sometimes thin and part of the down-stroke and other times thick and written separately. Rotund, single-compartment a appears throughout, the top more or less flat and formed by the same stroke as the back. The same structure was used for æ, the eye of which can be small with a straight rising tongue, or can form a bulging tall ligature with any following down-stroke. Round c appears throughout, the lower stroke of which is only slightly longer than the upper, and the back of d is short, rounded, and rises only slightly above cue-height. Horned e was used throughout, the back of which is vertical and the eye and tongue like those of æ; the tall ligature was not used. The tongue of f is long, tapering, and can be flat, concave down, or concave up. The mid-section of g hangs from the left of the top-stroke, is very straight and angled at about 50°, and turns sharply right at the base-line, the tail swings around in a circular closed loop, and the whole body sits to the left of centre. The shoulders of h, m, n, and r are all quite rounded and slightly swollen; the minims can be vertical or can be more curved left. Low s was used throughout, except for a single example of the tall form (the first in understenst, 1r2). Tall s has a thick vertical from cue-height to slightly below the base-line and a thinner stroke reaching up above ascender-height before turning over at the top; low s branches from mid-height and has a flat, angular hook. The conventional distinction between þ and ð was largely observed. The ascender of þ is consistently short, the back of ð is thick, normally angled at about 60°, and turns up at the tapered tip, and the cross-stroke of ð is thin and usually hooked down at the right. An essentially bilinear x was used, descending only slightly below the base-line in the south-west quadrant. Round and straight-limbed y were used, both dotted, although round is far more common; the former descends slightly below the base-line, and the right branch of the latter is hooked left and the tail hooked right. The top of 7 is thick, long, and flat, and the descender is straight and close to vertical.