Littera (prae-)carolina

Caroline minuscule or littera carolina was created around 780 in several monastic scriptoria between Rhine and Loire, the heartland of the pippinide rulers. The script was enormously succesful: in the next centuries it pushed aside almost every other form of writing north of the Alps, even in England and Spain, as well as in Northern Italy. It lasted until the 11th/12th century, but by then it had lost much of its harmonious appearance. Although remarkably uniform, caroline minuscule offers local variety, identifiable by proficient palaeographers. Among these one stands out: Bernhard Bischoff (1906-1991).

Altough the scriptorium of Corbie seems to have played an essential role in the distribution of littera carolina, the exact origin, development and dissemination of caroline minuscule are still disputed; this remains one of the true problems palaeographers have to resolve.

Before the 'unification' in caroline minuscule, several 8th-century pre-caroline scripts existed alongside one another in well developed regional styles. Discernable are for instance Merovingian (Northern France), Alemannic (Sankt Gallen, Reichenau) and the Burgundian (Flavigny) minuscules. In 'Medieval Manuscripts in Dutch Collections' these scripts are called littera prae-carolina.

Literature

• E.A. Lowe ed., Codices Latini Antiquiores. A palaeographical guide to Latin manuscripts prior to the ninth century. 12 vol., Oxford, 1934-1971.
• Bernhard Bischoff, Die südostdeutschen Schreibschulen und Bibliotheken in der Karolingerzeit. Wiesbaden, 1974-1980.
• B. Bischoff, Katalog der festländischen Handschriften des neunten Jahrhunderts (mit Ausnahme der wisi­gotischen). 2 vol., Wiesbaden, 1998-2004.
• Jean Vezin, ‘Un demi-siècle de recherches et de découvertes dans le domaine de l’écriture mérovingienne’, Archiv für Diplomatik, Schriftgeschichte, Siegel- und Wappen­kunde 50 (2004), p. 247-275.
• David Ganz, ‘The study of Caroline minuscule 1953-2004’, Archiv für Diplomatik, Schriftgeschichte, Siegel- und Wappenkunde 50 (2004), p. 387-398.

Sample

• The Hague, KB : ms. 75 B 24, f. 1r; Reims, second half 9th century

[...]

INCIPIT BREUIARIUM ADUER

SUS HERETICOS

Errare hereticos haec maxime cau

sa fuit · dum aut ignorant aut no

lunt aduertere in domino ihesu christo sicut

unam personam in duas esse substan

tias deum ex deo patre et hominem ex ho

mine matre · et quae de se ipse dominus

secundum dispensationem carnis adsump

te loquitur; deputant diuinitati

ut est illud · pater maior me est ·

[...]

Sample

• The Hague, KB : ms. 74 J 24, f. 51r; Northeast-France, 11th century

[...]

rebellantes eiusdem rennuerunt potestatem. Ponpeius inspaniam

contra gentes demicans plurimas moritur. Post hęc nulla

gens, usque inpresentem diem francus potuit superare. Qui tamen

eos suę dicioni potuisset subiugare; Adipsum instar et macedones

qui ex ęadem generationem fuerunt. quamuis grauia, bella fuissent

adtrite, tamen semper liberi adexterna dominatione. uiuere

conatisunt; Tercia, ex eadem origine gentem torcorum fama

confirmat;. Vt cumfranci asia peruacantes pluribus preliis transissent

Ingredientes eurupam si perlitore danuuię, fluminis inter ocianum,

et tranciam. Una ex eis ibidem. pars. residet;. Elęctum ase utique

[...]

Sample (littera prae-carolina – Alemannic minuscule)

• Leiden, UB : ms. VLQ 5, f. 3r; Bodenseeregion, c. 800

[...]

adrianus · In utraque lingua eruditus benigniter

tributa <urbium plurima relaxauit>; Polemtecis publicis incensis · plurimos

a tributis liberos fecit; adrianus edictum dedit sine

obiecione criminum christianos; non condemnandos;

imperator · adrianus <pater> patrie apellatur; Et ux

or eius agusta; adrianus · bebliotecam mire · ope

ris · struxit · Iudeos rebellantes · adrianos

mitet · ad repremendum exercitum eorum · qui re

bellio finem accepit, ita oppressi sunt; Ut ex eo

tempore etiam eis introeunte, Est hieru

[...]