Discover the secrets of vellum through the centuries

1. Philosophy: why did they create in this way?

In the Middle Ages, making a book (especially a sacred text) was not a simple production of an object. It was a spiritual act and a quest for perfection.

Divine Light ( Lux )

The term "illumination" comes from the Latin illuminare (to enlighten, to illuminate). The fundamental principle is to bring light into the text .

- The principle: God is Light. Therefore, the page must capture and reflect this physical light to symbolize spiritual light.

- The application: this is why gold leaf is used. Gold does not oxidize (it is eternal) and it reflects the monk's candle or the sun. When you turn the page, the glow changes: the book is "alive".

Time and Eternity

Paper (fragile) was known but often despised in the West for important texts. Parchment (animal skin) was preferred.

- The principle: the word of God or important knowledge must last forever, or at least until the Last Judgment.

- The application: vellum (skin of stillborn calf, very thin and smooth) or sturdy parchment is used. It is a material that resists fire, water, and insects much better than paper. The scribe does not work for the immediate, but for future centuries.

Laborare est Orare (To work is to pray)

For the monastic scribes, the act of writing was a form of penance and prayer.

- The principle: the suffering of the body (bent back, tired eyes, cold in the scriptorium) is an offering.

- The application: obsessive precision, regular calligraphy, absence of signature (often the work is anonymous because it is made for the glory of God, not that of man).

2. Matter: the link with nature

If you want to make your text technical, you can emphasize that the medieval book is organic . It is made of living creatures and raw minerals.

The support (The chair)

The book is made of skin.

- Vellum: this is the noblest skin. It has a "flesh side" (smooth and white) and a "hair side" (rougher and yellowish).

- The technical detail: the scribe had to scrape the skin with a curved blade (the lunellum ) to erase traces of follicles. Sometimes, one can still see the animal's veins on the page, or a scar that the animal had during its lifetime. The scribe had to write "around" the hole.

Color (Earth and alchemy)

Colors do not come from a tube. They are dangerous chemical reactions or crushed precious stones.

- Blue (Lapis Lazuli): coming from Afghanistan (Overseas), it was more expensive than gold. Using it for the mantle of the Virgin Mary was an enormous financial sacrifice, a sign of devotion.

- Red (Cinnabar/Vermilion): obtained from mercury and sulfur. It is toxic. The scribe risked his health for the beauty of the page.

- The Binder: for the powder to adhere to the greasy parchment skin, egg white (glaire ) or fish glue was used.

3. Order and layout

Nothing is left to chance on the page. It is an architecture.

- Hierarchy: the size of the letter indicates the importance of the text. An initial (large decorated letter) marks the beginning of a chapter. Rubrics (from the Latin ruber , red) are titles or instructions, written in red ink to distinguish them from the black text.

- Margins: they are immense compared to our modern books. This is a luxurious space (skin is expensive, leaving empty space is a sign of wealth) but also a space for comments (glosses).

In summary:

The person of the time:

- Felt the material: the grain of the skin under their fingers, the smell of the skin or inks.

- Prepared their tools: the size of the goose quill (it had to be constantly sharpened because parchment is abrasive, and the tip used).

- Perceived the light: how the gold they applied (on a plate of pink plaster, the bol d'Arménie ) caught the last ray of sunlight of the day.