The Role of the Scroll: An Illustrated Introduction to Scrolls in the Middle Ages

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Graphic Art & Design, Book Design, History, Medieval
Cover of the book The Role of the Scroll: An Illustrated Introduction to Scrolls in the Middle Ages by Thomas Forrest Kelly, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas Forrest Kelly ISBN: 9780393285048
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: April 30, 2019
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Thomas Forrest Kelly
ISBN: 9780393285048
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: April 30, 2019
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

A beautifully illustrated, full-color guide to scrolls and their uses in medieval life.

Scrolls have always been shrouded by a kind of aura, a quality of somehow standing outside of time. They hold our attention with their age, beauty, and perplexing format. Beginning in the fourth century, the codex—or book—became the preferred medium for long texts. Why, then, did some people in the Middle Ages continue to make scrolls?

In The Role of the Scroll, music professor and historian Thomas Forrest Kelly brings to life the most interesting scrolls in medieval history, placing them in the context of those who made, commissioned, and used them, and reveals their remarkably varied uses. Scrolls were the best way to keep ever-expanding lists, for example, those of debtors, knights, and the dead, the names of whom were added to existing rolls of parchment through the process of “enrollment.” While useful for keeping public records, scrolls could also be extremely private. Forgetful stage performers relied on them to recall their lines—indeed, “role” comes from the French word for scroll—and those looking for luck carried either blessings or magic spells, depending on their personal beliefs. Finally, scrolls could convey ceremonial importance, a purpose that lives on with academic diplomas.

In these colorful pages, Kelly explores the scroll’s incredible diversity and invites us to examine showy court documents for empresses and tiny amulets for pregnant women. A recipe for turning everyday metal into gold offers a glimpse into medieval alchemy, and a log of gifts for Queen Elizabeth I showcases royal flattery and patronage. Climb William the Conqueror’s family tree and take a journey to the Holy Land using a pilgrimage map marked with such obligatory destinations as Jaffa, where Peter resurrected Tabitha, and Ramada, the city of Saint Joseph’s birth. A lively and accessible guide, The Role of the Scroll is essential reading—and viewing—for anyone interested in how people keep record of life through the ages.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A beautifully illustrated, full-color guide to scrolls and their uses in medieval life.

Scrolls have always been shrouded by a kind of aura, a quality of somehow standing outside of time. They hold our attention with their age, beauty, and perplexing format. Beginning in the fourth century, the codex—or book—became the preferred medium for long texts. Why, then, did some people in the Middle Ages continue to make scrolls?

In The Role of the Scroll, music professor and historian Thomas Forrest Kelly brings to life the most interesting scrolls in medieval history, placing them in the context of those who made, commissioned, and used them, and reveals their remarkably varied uses. Scrolls were the best way to keep ever-expanding lists, for example, those of debtors, knights, and the dead, the names of whom were added to existing rolls of parchment through the process of “enrollment.” While useful for keeping public records, scrolls could also be extremely private. Forgetful stage performers relied on them to recall their lines—indeed, “role” comes from the French word for scroll—and those looking for luck carried either blessings or magic spells, depending on their personal beliefs. Finally, scrolls could convey ceremonial importance, a purpose that lives on with academic diplomas.

In these colorful pages, Kelly explores the scroll’s incredible diversity and invites us to examine showy court documents for empresses and tiny amulets for pregnant women. A recipe for turning everyday metal into gold offers a glimpse into medieval alchemy, and a log of gifts for Queen Elizabeth I showcases royal flattery and patronage. Climb William the Conqueror’s family tree and take a journey to the Holy Land using a pilgrimage map marked with such obligatory destinations as Jaffa, where Peter resurrected Tabitha, and Ramada, the city of Saint Joseph’s birth. A lively and accessible guide, The Role of the Scroll is essential reading—and viewing—for anyone interested in how people keep record of life through the ages.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Common Ground: A Naturalist's Cape Cod by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book The Age of Caesar: Five Roman Lives by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book The Shining Path: Love, Madness, and Revolution in the Andes by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book You Don't Really Know Me: Why Mothers and Daughters Fight and How Both Can Win by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Go Giants: Poems by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Collected Poems by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book 201 Positive Psychology Applications: Promoting Well-Being in Individuals and Communities by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Holistic Health for Adolescents by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Modernism: The Lure of Heresy by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Post Traumatic Success: Positive Psychology & Solution-Focused Strategies to Help Clients Survive & Thrive by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book The Blue Touch Paper: A Memoir by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book The Truth of Power: Intellectual Affairs in the Clinton White House by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Narrative Design: Working with Imagination, Craft, and Form by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Practical Social Skills for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Designing Child-Specific Interventions by Thomas Forrest Kelly
Cover of the book Ar'n't I a Woman?: Female Slaves in the Plantation South (Revised Edition) by Thomas Forrest Kelly
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy