Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Europe
Offered By
Deciphering Secrets: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Europe
University of Colorado System
About this Course
4.6
60 ratings
Perhaps no other relic of the European Middle Ages captures our imagination more than illuminated medieval manuscripts, or those documents decorated with images and colored pigments. Serving as windows unto a lost world of kings, ladies, faith, war, and culture, they communicate complex visual and textual narratives of Europe’s collective cultural heritage and patrimony. In this fashion, illuminated manuscripts are dynamic messages from our communal past that are still relevant today in fields like graphic design and typography.
In this seven-week course, students will explore the material creation, content, and historical context of illuminated medieval European manuscripts. Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of their distinguishing characteristics, their cataloguing and periodization (when they were created), the methods utilized to produce them, and their historical context and value.
Student achievement will be assessed using not only traditional multiple-choice quizzes, but more importantly will be evaluated based on individual student projects. In their final projects students will either (1) produce a board of commented images about medieval manuscripts or (2) prepare a physical manuscript using medieval methods. The best of these peer-evaluated projects will be posted on the Deciphering Secrets website, which is our collective citizen scholarship web presence that encourages and supports our global citizen scholars appreciation and contributions to transcription of medieval manuscripts.
Finally, we wish to highlight that this course is an exciting international collaboration between the University of Colorado (USA) and Universidad Complutense Madrid (Spain).
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
COURSE INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL WORLD AND MANUSCRIPT STUDIES
Week #1
15 videos (Total 114 min), 12 readings, 4 quizzes
15 videos
Meet Dr. Ana Belen Sanchez Prietom
Meet Dr. Roger L. Martínez-Dávilam
Optional video: How everything started10m
Week 1: Overview of Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean3m
1.0b. Introduction to Manuscript Studies3m
1.1. What is a Manuscript?10m
1.2. What is an Illuminated Manuscript?9m
1.3. Where do we Find Medieval Manuscripts?10m
1.4. How do we Find Medieval Manuscripts?8m
Project. 1. Introduction15m
Facsimile editions of medieval manuscripts13m
Handbooks and Lexicons10m
Working with Medieval Manuscripts10m
Wrap-Up to Unit 12m
12 readings
Course Description10m
Who Should Enroll?10m
Learning Outcomes and Goals10m
Teaching Methods and Approach10m
Assessment: Assignments and Grading10m
Nota para hispanohablantes (Notice for Spanish speakers)10m
Medieval Europe and Its Siblings20m
The Formation of Medieval Europe15m
The Islamic World and Formation of Its First Caliphates10m
Byzantium – Eastern Roman Empire10m
1.0a. Introduction to Unit 1. Activities and Workflow10m
Searching for a definition of "manuscript"10m
3 practice exercises
Considering maps: What do they reveal?2m
History: Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean16m
Manuscript studies. Basic concepts20m
2
Section
MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN KINGDOMS (PART 1) AND WRITING SUPPORTS AND BOOK FORMATS
WEEK #2
12 videos (Total 98 min), 10 readings, 4 quizzes
12 videos
2.0b.Writing Materials and Book Formats. Introduction3m
2.1. Archaic Writing Materials9m
2.2. Papyrus7m
2.3. Parchment12m
2.4. Paper10m
2.5. Tablets9m
2.6. Roll and Scroll11m
2.7. Codex14m
2.8. Archaic and Exotic Book Formats5m
Project : Materials and Book Formats7m
Wrap-up to Unit 22m
10 readings
Creation of Medieval European Kingdoms5m
Early Germanic Peoples5m
The Vandals: A Brief Reference10m
The Ostrogoths10m
The Visigoths10m
France and the Franks20m
England and the Anglo-Saxons and Normans20m
2.0a. Introduction to Unit 2. Activities and Workflow10m
Ancient Scrolls Blackened by Vesuvius are Readable at Last10m
The Birth of the Codex10m
3 practice exercises
Thinking More About Historical Sources: France's Einhard and England's Bede2m
Medieval Kingdoms - Part 116m
Writing Materials and Book Formats20m
3
Section
MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN KINGDOMS (PART 2) AND THE WRITING CASE AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CODEX
WEEK #3
12 videos (Total 106 min), 7 readings, 3 quizzes
12 videos
3.0b. Introduction to Unit 34m
3.1. The Writing Instruments9m
3.2. Black Inks10m
3.3. Colors (Part 1)9m
3.4. Colors (Part 2)11m
Bonus: Making a Lake Pigment11m
3.5. The Quires9m
3.6. Folding7m
3.7. Working with the Quires12m
Projects: The Writing Case and the Architecture of the Codex6m
Wrap-Up to Unit 31m
7 readings
Iberia: Christian and Islamic Kingdoms10m
Cities: The Rise of Urban Centers10m
Medieval Warfare10m
Scholasticism: The Revival of Learning10m
3.0a. Introduction to Unit 3. Activities and Workflow10m
Some readings about medieval colours10m
Some very interesting videos about paint and ink making10m
2 practice exercises
Medieval Kingdoms - Part 212m
Manuscript Studies20m
4
Section
A GLIMPSE OF SPAIN'S KING ALFONSO X "THE WISE" AND PREPARING THE PAGE FOR WRITING
WEEK #4
8 videos (Total 76 min), 7 readings, 3 quizzes
8 videos
4.0b. The Preparation of the Page. Introduction3m
4.1. The "mise-en-page"19m
4.2. Proportional Rectangles and Harmonic Surfaces14m
4.3. Pricking11m
4.4.Ruling11m
Project4m
Wrap-up to Unit 42m
7 readings
King Alfonso X "The Wise" of Castile10m
Las Cantigas de Santa Maria - The Canticles of Holy Mary10m
Lecture: Las Siete Partidas: A Legal Code for Three Religions10m
King Alfonso X and the Development of Spanish Universities10m
4.0a. Introduction to Unit 4. Activities and Workflow10m
Richard H. Rouse & Laura Light, Manuscript Production10m
Some interesting readings about the mise-en-page10m
2 practice exercises
History Quiz: King Alfonso X "The Wise"8m
Quiz Manuscript Studies20m
4.6
50%
83%
Top Reviews
By K•Jan 27th 2018
An excellent overview of a complex subject , with the rare option to explore the practical skills involved in making manuscripts , and with a forward view of new research evolving IT makes possible.
By JS•May 5th 2017
fascinating subject. Excellent course whether you want to just learn about the history of the manuscripts or try creating some yourself. The Spanish professor is a real expert in the subject.
Instructors
Dr. Roger Louis Martínez-Dávila
Associate ProfessorHistory
Ana B. Sanchez-Prieto
Dr. in Medieval History, Dr. in Education SciencesHistoriographical Sciences and Techniques
About University of Colorado System
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
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