Guernsey Discovery of 17 Medieval Fragments Rewrites 12th-15th Century Literary History
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 25
Guernsey Discovery of 17 Medieval Fragments Rewrites 12th-15th Century Literary History
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 25
Summary
Seventeen manuscript fragments dated from the 12th to 15th centuries have given Guernsey its first substantial evidence of medieval reading and intellectual life, overturning a long-standing historical blank spot.
French literary texts, biblical passages, an Ovid poem and a travel work show unusually broad tastes, with scholars saying the mix suggests islanders read for pleasure in French as the language remained influential there.
The fragments survived because they were cut up and reused in 16th- and 17th-century bindings for rent books and other records, then identified in Island Archives by Callum Tostevin-Hall with outside manuscript specialists.
One standout find is an exceptionally rare fragment from L'Estoire de Griseldis, a secular play written around 1395, indicating the work circulated beyond French royal court circles.
Researchers believe more pieces remain in Guernsey archives and will present the findings at an academic study day on Sept. 10 backed by the University of Kent.