Hand: Grant to CaA (77v), CCCC 286

Name

Grant to CaA (77v)

Manuscript

CCCC 286

Script

Unspecified

Scribe

Unspecified

Date

Saec. x/xi

Place

CaA

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

A relatively thin and round pen was used but with some shading. The strokes are slightly angular, and the proportions square. Ascenders vary are approximately as long as minims and have small approach-strokes or roughly formed wedges. Descenders are minim-length and can be slightly tapered and curved left. Minims are straight and fairly upright, with small wedges and very small or no feet. Both flat-topped and cc a were used, although flat-topped a is somewhat rounded, has a convex left side, and can approach teardop-shaped. A flat-topped form used for æ, the tongue of which is straight and rising. In one example of æ (ælce, line 5), the loop sits high on the shoulder and is entirely above cue-height; this may have been corrected from a or may be a majuscule after the preceding punctus and 7. Round c is found throughout, although the lower curve can be fairly straight and descending at approximately 45º. Concave-down, bilinear d is found throughout. Round e was normally used, the lower curve of which can be angled like that of c or round like æ. Horned e appears once (ealred, line 2), the loop rising above cue-height; although this usage may have been to indicate the proper noun, this seems unlikely since other names are not so distinguished. The descender of f usually tapers, as does the tongue which varies in length relative to the hook. The tail of g is awkward and can be open, ending with a small, roughly horizontal stroke, or can have a longer stroke which was brought back towards the main body sometimes closing it off. The shoulders of h, m, n, and r are somewhat angular, and the foot of r is long. A small majuscule n was also used four times at or near the ends of lines, perhaps to align the right margin. Low, long and round s were all used; low medially or finally, long only initially but always before p, t, or wynn, and round medially or finally but always initially in proper nouns or forms of sanctus (except se, line 8, and sancte at the end of line 7). The tail of t can be curled up. The conventional distinction between þ and ð was generally followed (but ðegnes, line 2; ðearfe, line 11). The back of ð is long and fairly straight, angled at about 70º and with a hairline approach-stroke at the tip; the through-stroke is relatively thick and concave down, with a heavy downward tick on the right and barely passing through the back on the left. Round and straight dotted y are both found; the tail of round y can look much like that of open g and curves back under the preceding letter. The south-west quadrant of x can be long or quite short but always descends below the base-line. The top of 7 can be very long, flat, and raised above cue-height, or shorter, more angled, and lower; the down-stroke can turn slightly left at the bottom.