Reader week 1

Question 1

Anglo-Saxon poetry

Answer 1

less than 30.000 lines left
conceived and composed orally
at the time the ‘rune-masters’ didn’t write it down
only christian scribes did later

Question 2

Four great codexes

Answer 2

most of our knowledge of Anglo-Saxon poetry comes from here
from around year 1000
only included pious and sufficiently sober and dignified poetry

Question 3

Oral composition

Answer 3

employs set patterns of expression (‘formulae’) adapted to the demands of the ancient alliterative metre

Question 4

scholastic phase

Answer 4

of the church
came after monastic phase
1100 onwards
universities

Question 5

book revolution

Answer 5

increase of output of written material
increase in manpower
improvement in productivity

Question 6

Pecia system

Answer 6

multiple scribes would transcribe from a single exemplar

closest to efficiency of printing press they could come

Question 7

Scriptor

Answer 7

one who writes others’ words, adding and changing nothing

Question 8

Compilator

Answer 8

one who writes others’ words, putting together passages which are not his own

Question 9

Commentator

Answer 9

one who writes others’ words (primarily) and his own words (secondary) for clarification

Question 10

Auctor

Answer 10

one who writes both his own words and others’ but with his own words as primary and others’ added only for purposes of confirmation

Question 11

Scriber interpolation

Answer 11

when a scribe changes things while transcribing something (replacing expressions or rewriting whole passages)

Question 12

vellum

Answer 12

Calf skin

before paper

Question 13

parchment

Answer 13

sheep- or goatskin

before paper

Question 14

Illumination

Answer 14

illustrations or decorations in the margins

and capital letters (miniatures, after minimum, a red dye)