Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson D 899
[Part 1]
» Full parent manuscript detail
General information
| Folios | 246 |
| Language | Language object (44) |
| Approx. date | c. 1250 |
| Date notes | Date suggested by the Lancelot-Graal project. Arthurian Fiction has 1240 to 1260. Micha 1963, 486 has 14th c. The writing supports a date in the middle of the 13th c. |
| Place(s) of production | Northern FranceThe Lancelot-Graal project suggests Soissons or Laon. Arthurian Fiction has Paris. |
| First words of second recto folio | |
| First words of last recto folio | |
| Incipit | [f. 1ra] de ma vie et bien sachiez que cestui servise vos guerredonnerai je mult bien, se je vif longement. Lors s'empart Agravain de laienz et erre le chemin del tertre et quant il est venuz amont, si voit delez .I. damoiselle . I. nain qui faisoit si grant duel sus le cors Druas que greingnor ne vus porroie dire. (Micha 1963, 487) |
| Explicit | |
Material
| Material: | Material object (4) |
| Watermark: | |
| Condition: | |
Structure
| Collation: | |
| Quire structure: | |
| Quire marks: | |
| Catchwords: | |
| Catchword disposition: | |
Physical description
| No. of illustrations: | 4 |
| General illustration: | One single column miniature in two registers (height: 14 lines) followed by a historiated initial (height: 7 lines) at the opening of the 'Queste' (f. 147v) and 'Mort' (f. 206r') (Stones 1971, vol. 1, 55; vol. 2, 30-31). The miniatures are framed in blue and pink bars. Backgrounds are gilt. The upper register is divided in half. The image at the beginning of the 'Quest' shows the arrival of the lady at court, the lower register has two nuns, presenting Galahad to three men. The image at the beginning of the 'Mort' shows Arthur and one of his scribes, the lower register has a battle scene. The initials are pink and blue on a field of the other colour. The background is again goldleaf. Both images depict men on horseback, three at the beginning of the 'Queste', one single knight at the beginning of the 'Mort'. Micha 1963, 486 claims that the MS is not illustrated. |
| General decoration: | The text is further subdivided by pen-decorated initials (height: 4--8 lines), alternatingly red and blue with flourishings in the contrasting colour. Paragraphs marked with smaller initials (height: 2 lines), red and blue with flourishings in the other colour. (Micha 1963, 487). Guide letters visible in the letter. Majuscule letters at the beginning of clauses highlighted with a dash of red ink. |
| Evidence of readership: | Some marginal glosses and corrections (Micha 1963, 487). |
| Foliations description: | Traces of older foliation (Micha 1963, 487). |
Mise en page
| Description 1 | |
| Page sampled | 335x240 |
| Layout | MSLayout object (3) |
| Page dimensions | (mm) |
| Justification | (mm) |
| Columns | 2mm between columns |
| Lines | 43 |
| Rubrication | Some rubricated tituli in the 'Queste' and 'Mort'. |
| Writing above top line? | False |
| Sample page layout: | |
Hand(s)
| Level of Execution: | Execution object (4) |
| Script | Script object (4) |
| Folio range | From 1ra to 246vb |
| Date | c. 1250 |
| Scribe description: | Northern textualis with two-compartment 'a', the upper compartment of which is open. Uncial 'd'. Diacritic on 'i' in minim groups. 'I'-longa in final position. Straight 's' in final position. Trailing 's' at the end of the line. The vertical stroke of 't' barely extends above the headstroke. Abbreviations included crossed tirionian 'et', nasal bar, superscript vowels, 'com'- and -'us' abbreviation, 'p' with crossed descender, apostrophe. Biting of 'de', 'o' and round 'r'. Word separation indicated with diagonal dash. |
| Notes | |