An interdisciplinary team of researchers has documented the widespread use of seal skins in Romanesque bookbindings of manuscripts produced between the 12th and 13th centuries in Cistercian monasteries in France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. The study, led by Élodie Lévêque and published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, combines archaeology, protein analysis, and […]
Books
Posted inCulture, Middle Ages
Intriguing Details Revealed About the Mysterious Medieval Manuscript Containing the Only Surviving Version of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
Two years ago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) literature professor Arthur Bahr experienced one of the most memorable moments of his academic career. At the British Library, he had the privilege of examining firsthand the Pearl manuscript, a unique medieval volume dating back to the 14th century that preserves the only known copies of four […]
Posted inAge of Exploration, Culture
Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, the chronicles of the Korean kingdom spanning five centuries, are the longest uninterrupted ones of a single dynasty in history
In 2006, the Seoul government announced that the Guksa Pyeonchan Wiwonhoe (National Institute of Korean History) had undertaken the digitization of the Joseon Wangjo Sillok, that is, the “Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty”, 1,893 books distributed across 888 volumes written in Chinese characters. These chronicles document the successive reigns of the monarchs of that […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Strange Legend of the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, also called Borametz and Polypodium Borametz, or “Chinese polypody,” is a plant shaped like a lamb, covered in golden fluff. It stands on four or five roots; the plants around it die, yet it remains lush; when cut, it releases a bloody juice (…) In other monsters, species or animal […]
Posted inModern Era
“Clisson and Eugénie”, the Romantic Novel Written by Napoleon Bonaparte
Artilleryman, strategist, statesman, legislator… One of the things that sets Napoleon Bonaparte apart from other military leaders and politicians is his extraordinary ability to excel in various fields. Well, there is one more quality to add to the most famous Corsican of all time, though it is practically unknown to most: that of a writer. […]
Posted inModern Era
“The Adventures of Baron Trump”, the 19th-century literary saga that has parallels with Donald Trump
Can you imagine a novel where a boy named Trump embarks on thrilling adventures, discovers strange civilizations, and gets into trouble with natives for unintentionally insulting them in their unfamiliar language? Well, you don’t have to imagine it because it exists; however, its protagonist is not the ineffable former U.S. president, but another who calls […]
Posted inScience
The Covers of Some 19th-Century Books Contain Toxic Elements
The seemingly harmless covers of 19th-century books might harbor a potentially lethal secret—the presence of toxic elements that have remained hidden for decades, lurking on the shelves of libraries and private collections worldwide. The discovery began in 2022 when a librarian at the Winterthur Library in Delaware (United States) decided to conduct chemical tests on […]
Posted inAncient Rome
First Mention of the Word ‘Abracadabra’: in a Roman Medical Work from the 2nd Century AD
When we read or hear the expression Abracadabra, we immediately think of witchcraft, enchantments, magic, and things of that nature. Until a few years ago, many magicians used it in their performances, and possibly some still do. The word is not a modern invention; in fact, its age and origin are unknown. Some etymologies suggest […]
Posted inCulture, Modern Era
Hamnet, Shakespeare’s Son Whose Childhood Death May Have Influenced His Father in the Creation of Hamlet and Other Works
Are there any descendants of William Shakespeare today? The answer is no. It is known that the family endures through another line, that of his younger sister Joan, but the famous playwright’s line has died out. This is because, despite having three children with his wife Anne Hathaway, two were girls and thus took their […]
Posted inModern Era
The Transgressive Life of Mademoiselle de Maupin, the Opera Singer Who Fought Duels Dressed as a Man
She was an opera star, but she also showcased her fencing skills, fell in love with a young girl whose parents had to hide her in a convent, stole corpses, fought in several duels, accumulated a handful of lovers, had to flee from justice, and her melodramatic life was chronicled by the Parnassian writer Théophile […]
