Rediscovering a Medieval Manuscript
Torn, folded, stitched, and bound within a book of property records dating back to the 1500s, a collection of rare tales featuring Merlin shapeshifting into the court of King Arthur and Sir Gawain drawing power from the sun lay unnoticed for centuries. These remarkable stories were hidden among the mundane records of an English manor and later lost among the vast holdings of a university library. However, the fate of this extraordinary manuscript changed when an attentive archivist decided to take a closer look, initiating a years-long endeavor to identify and painstakingly reassemble the medieval text. This manuscript had been disassembled in Tudor England and repurposed to support a ledger.
What emerged from this arduous reconstruction was a priceless literary treasure: a remarkably rare narrative of Arthurian romance, meticulously copied by a scribe between the years 1275 and 1315. This manuscript is part of the “Suite Vulgate du Merlin,” an Old French sequel that expands upon the legendary tales of King Arthur. This week, researchers at Cambridge University proudly announced their groundbreaking findings and made a digitized version of the manuscript available online for wider access.
With fewer than 40 known copies of the Suite Vulgate sequel existing globally, each manuscript is unique, reflecting the individual style and preferences of its scribe. As Irène Fabry-Tehranchi, a specialist in French literature at the university library, explains, “Each manuscript copy of a medieval text, handwritten by a scribe, is going to be altered slightly over time. As new copies are produced, each scribe imprints his own aesthetic.”
The manuscript reveals two captivating stories. The first centers around Sir Gawain, the valiant nephew of King Arthur, who finds himself embroiled in conflicts with both rebellious barons at home and invading pagan Saxons from abroad. Among Gawain’s formidable adversaries is none other than his own father, yet Gawain chooses to align himself with King Arthur to vanquish his father and restore order. Following this internal strife, Gawain’s journey leads him to confront the Saxons, showcasing his loyalty and bravery in the face of overwhelming challenges.
