Medieval Manuscripts

Hello, have you missed us? We’d love to hear from you.   Tell us your favourite British Library manuscript and we’ll post an image for you.

Hwæt! A new edition of the Electronic Beowulf has been released by Kevin Kiernan (University of Kentucky). You can explore it here: ebeowulf.uky.edu Beowulf is one of our greatest literary treasures, and the unique manuscript is held at the British Library.

Today we remember Humfrey Wanley, one of the greatest manuscript scholars, who died on this day in 1726. Read more about him in our latest blogpost: www.bl.uk/stories/blog...

We are recruiting for a Curator of Ancient and Medieval Manuscripts. For further details, and information on how to apply, please see the advert below. The deadline for applications is 12 July.

It's the #Weekend ! BL Sloane MS 2435, f.44v @blmedieval.bsky.social

Go the @bldigischol.bsky.social 's UV team and IIIF! 'switch between the visible light, ultraviolet and infrared images of a single folio in the same canvas. You can also pan out, zoom in and rotate the images and change their brightness and contrast to study the fragments in closer detail'

... by strange coincidence, the British Library @blmedieval.bsky.social has today released new multispectral imaging for this manuscript! www.bl.uk/stories/blog...

The Cotton Genesis (Cotton MS Otho B VI, 5th century) was one of the tragic victims of the Ashburnham House fire in 1731. Today, we’re delighted to release new multispectral imaging of the manuscript, allowing us to read its texts for the first time in hundreds of years. www.bl.uk/stories/blog...

We have released a few more tickets for our upcoming conference on the Cotton Genesis, taking place this Friday 19 June. We'll be celebrating new research on the manuscript which has been supported by multispectral imaging of the entire volume and its fragments. events.bl.uk/events/multi...

'Mulier amicta sole et luna sub pedibus ei[u]s et sup[e]r caput corona stellarum duodecim'. BL Add 11695; Beatus of Liébana, Commentary on the Apocalypse; 1091-1109 CE; Spain, N.; ff.147v, 148r @blmedieval.bsky.social

The Cotton Genesis (Cotton MS Otho B VI, 5th century) was left barely legible after the Ashburnham House Fire in 1731. Multispectral imaging on the MS has now uncovered texts and images unseen for hundreds of years. Join us at our upcoming conference to learn more. events.bl.uk/events/multi...

Support the development of our major exhibition on the Norman Conquest through this extraordinary PhD placement opportunity. Available to students currently registered at a UK HEI, three full-time, six-month placements. Applications open until Monday 6 April. Find out more: link.bl.uk/dnv

The Yates Thompson Divine Comedy has been returned online. Commissioned by Alfonso V, King of Aragon, Naples and Sicily, this copy of Dante's work has illuminations on every single page (Yates Thompson MS 36) Consult the whole manuscript online now: searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

St. Cuthbert's Day has come round again and I'm very happy to be able to update last year's post with the link to the St. Cuthbert Gospel, which is back online. Catalogue entry here searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/032-... with link to the digitized MS from there. ⚓ @blmedieval.bsky.social

Historiated initial 'I'(n) with scenes from creation at the beginning of Genesis BL Harley MS 4772; The first part of the ‘Montpellier Bible’, containing the Book of Genesis to the Book of Malachi; 12th century; France, S.E.; f.5r @blmedieval.bsky.social

The portrait of Pierre Sala opposite a French inscription in mirror writing, from a collection of love poems he wrote for his future wife Marguerite Bullioud in around the year 1500 (Stowe MS 955) searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

A trio of medieval bagpipers 🎶🎶🎶

The Guthlac Roll is back online! A 13th-century parchment roll from Crowland Abbey telling the story of the life of St Guthlac in 18 drawings (Harley Roll Y 6) You can consult the whole roll through the online catalogue record: searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

Now returned online: this tiny golden girdle book, made around 1540, containing an English verse translation of the Psalms and an added portrait of Henry VIII (Stowe MS 956). searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

A medieval English birth girdle, an amulet offering protection for women during childbirth. It's inscribed with protective prayers, charms and other talismans. You can consult the entire MS online now! (Harley Roll T 11) searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

We have an incredible new PhD placement opportunity to help support the development and curation of our major exhibition on the Norman Conquest, opening in October 2027. Learn more and apply through the link below! www.bl.uk/services/res...

A boar and its harp shall never be parted. BL Harley 6563; Book of Hours; c.1320 CE-c.1330 CE; England, S. E. (London); f.41v @blmedieval.bsky.social

Is it Easter yet? #medievalsky @blmedieval.bsky.social @britishlibrary.bsky.social Add 49622, f. 56r

A marginal figure drags an omitted portion of text into place in this copy of Thomas Hoccleve's Regiment of Princes (Arundel MS 38).

'Wynflaed's Will', the earliest surviving woman's will in British history, made in the 940s. Its bequests include tapestries, jewelry, bedclothes and books for her daughter Æthelflæd. Cotton Ch VIII 38 searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

How to Train Your Dragon 🐉🐉 Peraldus' Theological Miscellany, 1236-c.1250 (Harley MS 3244, f. 59r) searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

Newly restored online: Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook, also known as the Codex Arundel (Arundel MS 263), written in his characteristic mirror-writing with diagrams, drawings, brief texts, and personal notes. You can consult the entire manuscript online now: searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

"To run through better waters the little ship of my wit now hoists its sails, leaving behind it a sea so cruel, and I will sing of that second realm..." Canto 1 Purgatorio BL Yates Thompson MS 36; Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia; 15th century; Italy, N; f.65r @blmedieval.bsky.social

A few folios from the Bodmin Gospels (Add MS 9381), a 9th-century Breton Gospel-book that was brought to Bodmin in Cornwall by the end of the 10th century. It's notable for its added manumissions, documents recording the free of slaves. @ccurran.bsky.social searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/032-...

The Luttrell family sit down for dinner, from the Luttrell Psalter (Add MS 42130) searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/032-...

The Basilisk: don't look into its eyes! 🙈 BL Royal MS 12 C XIX; Bestiary; c 1200-c 1210 CE; England; f.63r @blmedieval.bsky.social

The earliest independent map of Scotland, from John Hardyng's Chronicle (Lansdowne MS 204) You can consult the whole manuscript through the online catalogue: searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

Monday! #medievalsky @blmedieval.bsky.social @britishlibrary.bsky.social Stowe 17, f. 185r

Murderous bunny rabbits from the margins of the Smithfield Decretals 🐇🐇🐇 c. 1300-1340, Royal MS 10 E IV

Christine de Pizan before Reason, Rectitude, and Justice; and Christine with Reason building the Cité des Dames #InternationalWomensDay BL Harley 4431, f. 290r @blmedieval.bsky.social

Hwaet! The Beowulf manuscript (Cotton MS Vitellius A XV) is now back online. You can consult the entire manuscript through the online catalogue: searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-...

The British Library’s Medieval MSS team now have a presence on Bluesky @blmedieval.bsky.social Follow for updates as we restore more of our digitised content online!