Script Type : minuscule
Alternative Name : Black Letter Gothic
Date : 12th to 15th centuries, and beyond as a typeface. This example is from the 15th century.
Location : Spread from France and the Low Countries across western Europe. This example is from England.
Function : Book hand , also, as here, used for inscriptions.
Distinctive letters : The letters have angular Gothic textura forms, but are all well separated in this formal inscription. There are two forms of s. There are no examples of f, k, w, x, y or z. Some elaborate capital letters appear.
There are many abbreviations, some of which involve small interpolated superscript letters. Note the different forms of abbreviation marks used.
The photograph may be slightly unclear in parts, but gives you a bit of an idea of trying to read these things in a darkened church where one is usually accompanied by a distinctive smell which combines old furniture polish, flowers and rising damp, and strange creaking noises from the belfry.
Pass the cursor slowly along the lines of text to unravel it. To examine it in more detail, and take a peek at the whole monument, proceed to the paleography exercises.
Script
Index Paleography
exercises using Flash
Requires at least the Flash 5 plugin
If you are looking at this page without frames, there is more information about medieval writing to be found by going to the home page (framed) or the site map (no frames).
