Our collection of MSS and early-printed books have reached us in a variety of ways
Matthew Parker (obvsly) bequethed us his large library but there's been many smaller donations too
In honour of equippers of libraries 🏛️📖😍:
www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/articles/don...
#MedievalMSS #BookHistory #EarlyModern
A miniature portrait from c. 1435 of seated King Offa (d. 796) in scarlet cloak over blue, crowned. He holds a sword and a model of church with central tower and leaded spire. Background is purple with a floral pattern, framed in orangy-red frame with white highlights. The seat is protruding out of the frame. Chronicle and Register of Benefactors of the Monastery of St Albans Once at St Alban's monastery, now in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 7, f. 103r
King Offa (d. 796) portrayed c. 1435 in the Register of Benefactors of the Monastery of St Albans
There are numerous illustrations that represent the benefactors, a few as full figures but mostly as busts or heads
CCCC MS 7, f. 103r
tinyurl.com/yhx9m4y4
#MedievalMSS
Gospel Book of Otto III c. 1000 Manuscript (Clm. 4453), 334 x 242 mm Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich This is another miniature from the Gospels of Otto III (folio 139r). It shows St Luke with a piles of manuscripts in his lap (their bindings studded with jewels) exalting all the Old Testament prophets who foretold the coming of Christ. Web gallery of art image: https://www.wga.hu/html_m/zgothic/miniatur/1001-050/1/1gospel5.html
I love this photo of Saint Luke with piles of manuscripts in his lap from the Gospel Book of Otto III (c. 1000 CE)
(Manuscript (Clm. 4453), Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich). Probably projection, but he looks traumatized by all the reading he still needs to do before the end of the semester.
Reminder: Nowlan Digitisation Grant scheme open until 15 April 2026!
Applications are invited for the Nowlan Digitisation Grants, offering up to €10,000 to support the digitisation of historical and archaeological sources.
For eligibility and to apply visit: www.ria.ie/grants/nowla...
#Skystorians it is not too late to book for this in person summer school course, in London 8-12 June, where we cover the basics of working with medieval manuscripts. Ideal for graduate students, #librarians, or anyone with an interest in medieval books.
Sad and shocking news. Her joyous energy had such a huge impact on me and others around her as we learned to navigate postgrad life in Toronto. So many fond memories ❤️ 💔
UNIVERSITY OF BERN, SWITZERLAND PhD position Medieval English Literature Starting 1 February 2027 Gross Starting Annual Salary: CHF 50’042 p.a. Professor Annette Kern-Stähler aims to select a doctoral student (with an MA or equivalent degree) interested in pursuing a PhD in Medieval English Literature under her supervision in the Department of English at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The successful candidate will be attached to the research project ‘Searching for the Medieval Aesthetics of Revulsion (SMEAR): Disgust in the Middle English Literary Tradition’, which is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The PhD student will be working alongside Professor Kern-Stähler and PD Dr Mary Flannery, the senior researcher on the team. SMEAR will investigate the aesthetics of disgust (i.e. strong aversion or repugnance) in the medieval English literary tradition in order to (1) recover the lost Middle English language of revulsion and (2) understand what makes disgust such an attractive—and effective—literary and rhetorical device. The project focuses on three medieval genres that frequently draw on disgust: devotional literature, satire, and travel narratives. The doctoral student will pursue a thesis topic that focuses on the language and aesthetics of disgust in Middle English travel narratives (e.g. the language and imagery of seasickness; disgust and food culture; the role of specific senses like smell or taste in conveying disgust in these texts). POSITION PhD position starting 1 February 2027 and lasting for 4 years. While the majority of working hours will be devoted to research and writing connected with the doctoral project, the duties of the PhD student are also expected to include: • presenting the results of their ongoing research independently or alongside other team members at conferences, workshops, and seminars; • submission of 1 article to a peer-reviewed journal with the support and guidance of Prof. Kern-Stähler;
• contribute a short methodology section to a short monograph to be co-authored with Prof. Kern-Stähler and PD Dr. Flannery; • leading the compilation and construction of an online lexicon of disgust with the support of Prof. Kern-Stähler and PD Dr. Flannery (as well as members of UNIBE’s digital humanities team); • assisting with administrative and research tasks linked to the team project (e.g. set-up of project website, blog, and social media). CONDITIONS Doctoral research in Switzerland – as in much of Europe – is thesis-driven and relies on students being mature, self-reliant, motivated, and well organized. You work under the supervision of a dedicated faculty advisor/mentor and are expected to participate in the research culture of your home department and faculty (e.g. Graduate School of the Arts and Humanities, Berner Mittelalterzentrum). By the same token, you will find yourself with a lot of freedom, independence and collegiality, quickly becoming a valuable member of the department’s academic faculty/staff. For more information about life (including cost of living) in Bern, see: https://www.unibe.ch/university/organization/welcome_center/accommodation/living_in_bern/index_eng.html For more information about the Department of English: www.ens.unibe.ch/content/index_eng.html REQUIREMENTS AND FURTHER INFORMATION • The University of Bern strives to become an equal opportunities employer. • You must hold an MA (or equivalent) in Medieval English Studies or English Literature with a specialization in Medieval Literature. DEADLINES To apply for this post, please submit by 31 August 2026 the following materials as a single pdf: • a cover letter, outlining your motivation in applying for the position (addressed to Prof. Annette Kern-Stähler)
• a full Curriculum Vitae • the names and email addresses of two academic referees (no letters are needed at this point) • a research proposal (750-1000 words) In addition, please send a representative sample of your academic writing in English (e.g. your MA thesis or a substantial stand-alone paper/essay of 4000-7000 words). If your writing sample is part of a larger piece of writing, please briefly situate it within the context of that larger work. In your cover letter, please explain what your writing sample is and why you have chosen to submit it. Please also explain who your referees are and why you have chosen to ask them for a possible recommendation. Please clearly indicate your citizenship and whether you will be able to begin on 1 February 2027. Your materials should be emailed to annette.kern-staehler@unibe.ch. Please feel free to contact Prof. Kern-Stähler or PD Dr. Mary Flannery in advance of the deadline if you have any questions about this position: annette.kern-staehler@unibe.ch; mary.flannery@unibe.ch
Come do a PhD with Prof. Annette Kern-Stähler in Bern!!
I’m *thrilled* to announce that we’ve secured funding for a 4-year project on disgust starting Feb 2027 which includes a PhD studentship—please share widely!!
Anglo Norman text with later glosses in Latin and Middle English
Struggling with your Anglo-Norman? You're in the good company of this medieval reader who glossed the start of this text using Latin and Middle English (before giving up). @bodleian.ox.ac.uk MS. Selden Supra 74
Wonderful news, congrats!
I'll be happy to join the service and whisper facts about medieval manuscripts to anyone who wants to hear them! There'll be a bonus foreign accent too!
Pink-ish-brown bunny incide pink letter C on blue square From a manuscript at the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 628, f. 138r
Eight lines of text in Latine, written in black ink on parchment. Text has linefillers in red and gold, and two 1.5-line initilas: I in gold with blue highlights and Q in blue with red highlights. A four-line illuminated initial D at the beginning of the text is blue and is drawn on pink square. The inside is decorated with a pinkish-brown bunny facing right, and half standing and half sitting on golden background. From a manuscript at the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 628, f. 104v
Blue rooster inside pink letter C on blue background. From a manuscript at the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 628, f. 153r
Pink rooster inside blue letter C on pink background. From a manuscript at the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 628, f. 134v
Easter-week delight:
bunnies & roosters hiding in plain sight
A Psalter likely made in c. 1240 Paris contains the Book of Psalms with colourful and sparkly illuminations
@parkerlibcccc.bsky.social CCCC MS 628, ff. 104v, 134v, 138r & 153r
parker.stanford.edu/parker/catal...
#MedievalMSS
2 people consulting a printed volume on a book cushion
📢Job alert! We’re looking for 3 new full-time graduate trainee Archives & Special Collections Assistants to join our innovative, user-focused engagement team.
See more details and apply: www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/archives...
🗓️Closing date: 16 April 2026
Inhabited miniature inside letter D coloured in red, blue and gold. The scene includes Christ with cruciform halo on top, hanging an unrolled scroll with text in Latin "Diligite iustitiuam qui iudicatis terram". Scene below has two groups of men on either side of one bound and blindfolded man in the middle. Background is green. A work written in red ink 'sapientie' is placed above the letter D and identifies the quotation as from book of Wisdom - one of deuterocanonical / apocryphal books of the Bible. The text to the right and below of the initial D reads (D)iligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram, all written in stylised capital letters.
Diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram / Love justice you who judge the earth (Wisdom 1:1)
Christ hangs a scroll containing the advice over a group of men debating the fate of a man tied in the middle
12thC Dover Bible, CCCC MS 4, f. 59r
tinyurl.com/4mstn23d
Our current exhibition "Making of the Bible: Texts and Languages" closes at the end of the month 📖 👀
www.corpus.cam.ac.uk/articles/mak...
Two more chances to visit it (23 & 31 March) - book your tickets via our Eventbrite site!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/parker-lib...
#MedievalMSS
Job opportunity with manuscripts and early printed books!
Librarian at Lincoln Cathedral – Cathedral Library
£43,722 - Full time
applicaiton DL: 14 April 2026
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQX901/l...
🚨1 week left!🚨
"Hell-faunt"
Two hairy monkeys sit facing each other, seemingly deep in conversation CCCC MS 22, f. 163 (Bestiary, 12th century)
Two monkeys
That's all
12thC Bestiary, now CCCC MS 22, f. 163r
tinyurl.com/yzjnpbdp
#MedievalMSS #Bestiary
3 reasons to apply for a Marie-Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Vienna.
It's easy to find the perfect supervisor. Our Expression of Interest Programme (EOI) allows you to search potential supervisors at the University of Vienna who are interested in supervising an MSCA Fellowship.
Access to unparalleled support. We offer extensive support for MSCA applicant, including: In-depth masterclassen, Q&As, personalised feedback and support, thourogh proposal checks
Work at a world-leading university. The University of Vienna is a Times Higher Education (THE) Top 100 University and, in 2024, Vienna was ranked the World's Most Liveable City according to the Global Liveability Index.
#MSCA Postdoctoral #Fellowships 2026 – Support Programme Now Open! 🚨
Are you an outstanding #postdoc researcher ready to take the next step in your #academic career? Our EoI programme for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 at #univie is now open. ⤵️ 👨🔬👩🔬 #phdsky
careers.univie.ac.at/en/research-...
🚨Booking is now open for our AMARC Spring Event🚨
Exploring Business Archives: Collections and their Use
💻Virtual seminar hosted by the University of Glasgow
🕰️24th April 2026, 13.00-16.30
For booking and a schedule, see our website: amarcsite.wordpress.com/meetings/for...
Deadline approaching for our next round of AMARC grants.
See our website for more information on what we fund and how to apply.
📆Deadline: 1 April
A detail from the Chronicle of Battle Abbey, showing a historiated initial enclosing a portrait of William the Conqueror, sitting enthroned, wearing a crown and holding a sceptre, with a dog at his feet. The initial is formed from a winged creature.
We have an incredible new PhD placement opportunity to help support the development and curation of our major exhibition on the Norman Conquest, opening in October 2027.
Learn more and apply through the link below!
www.bl.uk/services/res...
#MedievalSky Reminder that bursary applications for the practical manuscript-making summer school course are due by 7 April. The course runs in London 8-12 June @ies-sas.bsky.social 🎨👇 palaeography.uk/study/short-...
Letter O on square background filled in purple with white highlights and framed in thin light purple, red and green frame. Inside multicoloured O there is a portrait of Christ with cruciform halo, holding an empty scroll in his both hands. He is dressed in blueish-purple and white, has a dark brown beard and long hair. His eyes are looking up to the right. Background is filled in with red. Gold highlights the halo and both the right and left curve of the letter O. Image is a detail from Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 380, f. 27r
One of our treasures is the sole surving copy of Robert of Cricklade's (OSA, prior of St Frideswide, Oxford | d. after 1188) 'Speculum fidei' (Mirror of Faith)
Christ is pictured with pensive eyes & an empty scroll; what could he be thinking?
CCCC MS 380, f. 27r
tinyurl.com/2am9zv2t
#MedievalMSS
Almost the 400th anniversary of the Cambridge bookfish!
A miniature of the construction of the Tower of Babel, from Boccaccio's Des cas de nobles hommes et femmes (Add MS 35321).
The British Library’s Medieval MSS team now have a presence on Bluesky @blmedieval.bsky.social
Follow for updates as we restore more of our digitised content online!
Visitors to Lincoln Castle have the chance to see a medieval book highlighting the role the city played in shaping English history
Chronica Majora includes the story of the Battle of Lincoln in 1217, which turned the tide of the First Baron's War
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Cataloging is complete for 792 manuscripts in the collection of Johann Christian Senckenberg Library, Frankfurt University, Germany, microfilmed by HMML in 1989–1991. Many of the manuscripts were relocated from religious communities closed during the #Reformation.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4b0Uit4
Currently advertising two fixed term parental leave posts: Special Collections Librarian (13 months; £43,622-£49,097 - closes 9 March) and Special Collections Assistant (6 months; £30,508-£33,096 - closes 7 April). It's a great chance to work with a brilliant collection jobs.joh.cam.ac.uk
We're delighted to loan Matthew Paris's (d.1259) 'Chronica Majora' to Lincoln Castle exhibition
See the Siege of Lincoln in 1217 displayed along with Magna Carta - visit these two stars while you can!
www.lincolncastle.com/events/event...
CCCC MS 16ii, ff. 55v-56r
tinyurl.com/mre3xwp4
#MedievalMSS