knight

Introduction

This is meant to be a short primer in the arts of Calligraphy and Illumination for those who are interested in learning how to make scrolls. In order to save on download times, the text has been divided into several files which you access by clicking on the headlines at the side.

It's important to make it clear that most people can learn to do calligraphy; what you need is not so much artistic talent as patience and stubborn determination. Having read this introduction, you will at least be able to avoid some of the mistakes I made in the beginning.
What this file is not

This file is not intended for advanced artists. It does not tell you how to make pigments or how to mix your own inks and paints like medieval scribes did. It doesn't tell you how to make quill pens. There is a world of knowledge which isn't in this file. If you want to learn more, try some of the books in the bibliography at the end of this file.

Who were the medieval scribes?

In the early Middle Ages, most of those who made books and wrote documents were monks. (By the way, the word "calligraphy" was not used before 1600. It was just called "fine writing".) Particularly the Benedictines were prominent copiers of books. Later the demand for books increased and professional scribes appeared.

Those who wrote and those who illuminated were different people. Like other artisans, they were organized in guilds and had ranks like apprentice and master. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, writing had become a big industry. Books were copied en masse, with one person reading aloud from the original and perhaps ten or twenty scribes simultaneously taking down his words. At this time, the subdivision of book production went even further so that one person would design the page and make pencil markings, another wrote the words, a third applied gold leaf and a fourth filled in the colours.

Calligraphy: medieval and modern

One might think that typewriters and computers would put an end to handwriting, but in fact it's quite the opposite: more and more people are interested in beautiful writing. Since the machines now do all the boring business work, handwriting has become associated with festivity and pleasure. Modern documents are seldom authentically medieval. They are a mix between illuminated manuscripts, business documents and heraldic documents.

One does not normally find illuminations on medieval business documents, like grants of lands and titles. Business documents were usually very neatly written -- the scribes were professionals who knew their job. But the verbal contents was the most important part. Parchment was expensive, so they tried to squeeze in as much text as possible onto the minimum surface. Thus, we seldom find any business documents that are illuminated. Heraldic documents did have limited decoration, but nowhere near what we often see on modern scrolls.

Illuminations belong mainly in religious books. This was a place where the religious spirit of the day blossomed and thrived; when God was involved, no effort was spared. Generations of monks and other scribes labored year after year on the making of beautiful prayer and gospel books. To open a manuscript like the Book of Kells or the Trés Riches Heures must have been like looking into heaven itself. Remember, they had never seen offset print, Cinemascope or colour television! Man-made visual effects were scarce. Books also became one of the most important status symbols of the day -- rich dukes who could hardly read bought extremely expensive prayer books, just to show off.

This primer provides basic information on how to do calligraphy and illumination, and, it is to be hoped, may also give some inspiration to those who have not yet tried. How do you know you can't do it if you never tried? And remember, scribbling for five minutes and then giving up because your paper doesn't look like the Book of Kells does not count as trying! So let's lay on!