PAGES OF ENGLAND...
The first time my hands held this ancient work, Textus Roffensis, those were the words that formed in my mind. For this most precious of medieval books does indeed tell a story of the origins of England.
Of course, 'The Text of Rochester' is not actually a storybook, as such; it's not a narrative tale. It's more like an encyclopaedia. The oldest laws of early England are written within its more than 300 pages, written in the names of the kings of old: Ethelbert, Alfred, Athelstan, Ethelred the Unready, Cnut, to name a few. There are other remarkable texts too: charters, curses, a charm, and genealogies.
Personally, I don't look at these texts solely as a scholar. I find myself also imagining the stories behind these historical documents. I start wondering about the people behind these pages, both the authors, such as those kings just mentioned, and the ordinary folk that would have been affected by their rules and pronouncements.
I invite you here to look at some of my musings on Textus Roffensis. Over the coming months I will be adding more and more material. Some of it will be scholarly (though accessible) and some may be a little more speculative or even just fun. The plan is that all of it will contribute to a better understanding of one of Britain's greatest 'hidden treasures'.
The first time my hands held this ancient work, Textus Roffensis, those were the words that formed in my mind. For this most precious of medieval books does indeed tell a story of the origins of England.
Of course, 'The Text of Rochester' is not actually a storybook, as such; it's not a narrative tale. It's more like an encyclopaedia. The oldest laws of early England are written within its more than 300 pages, written in the names of the kings of old: Ethelbert, Alfred, Athelstan, Ethelred the Unready, Cnut, to name a few. There are other remarkable texts too: charters, curses, a charm, and genealogies.
Personally, I don't look at these texts solely as a scholar. I find myself also imagining the stories behind these historical documents. I start wondering about the people behind these pages, both the authors, such as those kings just mentioned, and the ordinary folk that would have been affected by their rules and pronouncements.
I invite you here to look at some of my musings on Textus Roffensis. Over the coming months I will be adding more and more material. Some of it will be scholarly (though accessible) and some may be a little more speculative or even just fun. The plan is that all of it will contribute to a better understanding of one of Britain's greatest 'hidden treasures'.
