What is it about?
The Exeter Book, a 10th-century manuscript, has a number of leaves that contain damage. This paper examines methods to digitally reconstruct damaged areas within the MS, and evaluates the pros and cons involved. This paper also discusses the role of the digital humanist and respecting the MS.
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Why is it important?
Work of this kind is relatively new (in relation to the Exeter Book), and it has been described as 'ground-breaking.' The work involved is not only important, but the theoretical discussion about the appropriateness of such work and whether or not it betrays the MS as it has survived is valuable.
Perspectives
I hope readers will find this work valuable in terms of the connection between Manuscript Studies and Digital Humanities. There is a real danger involved in reconstructing MSS if the final products confuse readers (who would not know the difference between the reconstructed or surviving text). I am advocating for a measured and carefully restrained sort of reconstruction, while also providing tips that will hopefully be useful to future digital humanists.
Dr M Rambaran-Olm
University of Glasgow
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The advantages and disadvantages of digital reconstruction and Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, Digital Medievalist, April 2015, Open Library of the Humanities,
DOI: 10.16995/dm.49.
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