Codicology

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Peter Anthony Stokes (Paris Science et Lettres)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. WORLD HISTORY AND IDEAS: A CROSS-CULTURAL VOLUME.

Domains

Language & Linguistics
Literature (all)

Dates

Date of occurrence c.100- c.1500

Places

Europe (Location)

Resources

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Codicology is the study of the physical structure of manuscript books, or codices, from the Middle Ages. It includes the manufacture of the material to be written on (papyrus, parchment, paper, and so on), the preparation of that material after manufacture, and arrangement of the material after writing into its final form, such as a book or roll. The discussion here focuses on the most commonly surviving form from the medieval West, namely parchment or paper bound in a book or “codex”, but many other materials and arrangements are found throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Parchment

The origin of parchment is associated with Eumenes II of Pergamum (197-159 BC), who is said to have developed the material in response to restrictions on the importation of papyrus. The

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2340 words

Citation: Stokes, Peter Anthony. "Codicology". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1679, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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