One-of-a-Kind King Arthur Manuscript Reveals Its Mysteries After Decades of Silence
- A professor at MIT found out that the Pearl Manuscript from the 1300s contains more than merely four disconnected medieval poems.
- Professor Arthur Bahr found that along with the tale “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” the poetry-filled book features plenty of additional aspects far beyond merely words on a page.
- Bahr has released a new book exploring the distinctive features of Sir Gawain along with the other three poems found in the Pearl Manuscript.
When MIT literature professor Arthur Bahr examined the manuscript formally known as "British Library MS Cotton Nero A X/2," it provided him with insights into the enigmas encompassing the famous story of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."
The standalone book, widely recognized as the Pearl Manuscript, is predominantly renowned for serving as the sole written origin of the most celebrated tale featuring one of King Arthur’s famed Knights of the Round Table. Dating back to the 14th century, this manuscript also preserves the only remaining versions of three additional medieval poems: "Pearl," "Cleanness," and "Patience."
Many medieval bound volumes were simply different documents bound together—something that has long been fascinated Bahr. But, according to his recent analysis, the Pearl Manuscript is much more than just words on paper.
"My point is that this physical object encompasses more than just the aggregation of its components, due to its innovative combination of text, images, and materials," Bahr explained in a statement. statement It is a cohesive book that reflects the themes within the poems. Unlike most manuscripts which are created for practical purposes, this one stands out.
Bahr conducted a thorough reassessment of the book, including spectroscopic analysis And through a mathematical exploration, aiming to gain deeper insight into this historical document. During his work, Bahr uncovered several of its mysteries, which he then compiled. his own book ", 'Pursuing the Pearl - Manuscript: Conjecture, Forms, Joy.'
He remarked, 'The more you search, the more you discover.'
There was much to discover. Initially, Bahr utilized spectroscopic analysis—a method involving various wavelengths of light to examine objects—to demonstrate that the book initially contained basic line illustrations that were subsequently enhanced with colored ink. Further investigation of the actual manuscript (as opposed to the digital copies) revealed that the drawings were made on animal skin parchment.
Animal skin was not an unusual material for bookmaking back then—as a matter of fact, that’s precisely what parchment refers to. is Unusual, though, is how the parchment was utilized in the "Patience" poem. This work revisits the biblical tale of Jonah (the man who endured being engulfed by a whale). whale ) and possibly to offer readers a more intense experience, the parchment was flipped so that the "hair" side of the material faced them instead of the "flesh" side (which is how the other three poems are presented).
When you read about Jonah being swallowed by the whale, you get this unexpected sensation as though your own hairs were standing up," Bahr explained. "Exactly at the point where the poem explores an unusual inversion of interior and exterior spaces, you experience the perspective of another creature.
Regarding the story of Sir Gawain, who was not just a member of King Arthur is brought to life through the vibrant interplay of the manuscript’s textures, the carefully crafted structure of its poetry, and the detailed illustrations. This magic is further enhanced by the presence of the king’s nephew at his fabled Round Table."
It's quite an MIT-style poem because the author or authors have a strong fascination with mathematics, geometry, numbers, and proportions," Bahr explained. "They're equally passionate about constructing artifacts, focusing on architectural specifics, and mastering manual skills." He added, "The poems carry a distinct 'mens et manus' essence, which is mirrored in the manuscript itself.
Although the writer behind each poem remains anonymous, many scholars think that all these pieces in the Pearl Manuscript were penned by one individual. The manuscript begins with "Pearl," then continues sequentially through "Cleanness" and "Patience," culminating in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." This final work has been referred to by Bahr as a chilling yet fantastical story exploring bravery and knighthood.
Bahr indicated that not only are the four texts thematically interconnected, but when examined as a group they "begin to form a cohesive, flawed, multi-temporal entirety."
The book is also, as it turns out, unexpectedly mathematical For example, both "Pearl" and "Sir Gawain" consist precisely of 101 stanzas each, leading Bahr to suggest this might be a deliberate flaw, since a perfectly structured poem should ideally contain 100 stanzas. The structure of "Pearl" further emphasizes the significance of the number 12; almost every stanza contains exactly twelve lines—a potential purposeful anomaly. Additionally, the manuscript maintains thirty-six lines per page consistently across its entirety—an observation worth noting during an era where handwritten texts allowed for varying numbers of lines on different pages at will. Both poems—"Pearl" and "Sir Gawain"—demonstrate numerical consistency in their construction.
Daniel Wakelin from Oxford University stated that Bahr’s approach offers "an innovative framework for examining material texts and literary works jointly."
Bahr believes that the medieval reading experience was determined by how the reader interacted with the book itself. “Materiality matters,” he said. Taken as a whole, Bahr said that from a knight at the round table to “Pearl,” this bound volume from the 1300s is a more complex piece of visual and textural art than anyone had ever seen before.
Comments
Post a Comment