Medieval Manuscript Studies: Paleography, Codicology, and Interpretation

How do you read a medieval manuscript? This course teaches hands-on methodologies for deciphering the material text, including palaeography (history of scripts) and codicology (archeology of the book); contemporary models of interpreting scribal texts, including editorial theory and analysis of readers' reception; and medieval concepts of textuality and interpretation, including medieval theories of authorship and the arts of memory. Prior course work in Middle English or Latin or other medieval language recommended. Not open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. Instructor permission required.