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Rare Merlin and King Arthur text found hidden in binding of medieval bookPopular Science ^ | March 31, 2025 | Andrew Paul
Posted on 05/08/2025 11:22:50 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Variations on the classic Merlin and King Arthur legends span hundreds, if not thousands, of retellings. Many are documented within handwritten medieval manuscripts dating back over a millenia—but some editions are far rarer than others. For example, less than 40 copies are known to exist of a once-popular sequel series, the Suite Vulgate du Merlin. In 2019, researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered fragments of one more copy in their collections, tucked inside the recycled binding of a wealthy family's property record from the 16th century. But at the time of discovery, the text was impossible to read.Now after years of painstaking collaborative work with the university's Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory (CHIL), archivists have finally been able to peer inside the obscured texts—without ever needing to physically handle the long-lost pages.
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
TOPICS: History; Science; TravelKEYWORDS: andrewpaul; camelot; darkages; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; kingarthur; merlin; middleages; suitevulgatedumerlin
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This video of Cambridge University Library's manuscript Vanneck Box 5a showcases a 3D animation that simulates the parchment unfolding. It uses a composite image to uncover the concealed text.
Virtual opening of CUL's Vanneck Merlin fragment | 0:15
Cambridge University Library (the UL)
8.41K subscribers | 17,177 views | December 4, 2024
1posted on 05/08/2025 11:22:50 PM PDTby SunkenCiv
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There's Merlin's name in the text recently discovered by librarian Michael Robinson.Found: A 13th-Century Tale of Merlin and Arthur, Reused as Bookbinding | by Noor Al-Samarrai | February 1, 2019 | Atlas Obscura | The early text can help scholars understand how the legend evolved over time.
University of Bristol
2posted on 05/08/2025 11:23:12 PM PDTby SunkenCiv(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...
Richard Fisher | 8 February 2023 | BBC
3posted on 05/08/2025 11:24:37 PM PDTby SunkenCiv(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: SunkenCiv
It was magically hidden there.
4posted on 05/08/2025 11:27:15 PM PDTby DannyTN
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https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/merlin-manuscript-discovered-cambridge
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article303698256.html
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/merlin-king-arthur-manuscript-found-cambridge-library-2626915
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250324-the-magical-medieval-tale-revealed-by-a-100000-dollar-camera
5posted on 05/08/2025 11:28:39 PM PDTby SunkenCiv(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Pretty cool. I just hide cash in the binding. Hopefully burglars are illiterate and don’t possess Multispectral Imaging equipment.
6posted on 05/08/2025 11:29:49 PM PDTby monkeyshine(live and let live is dead)
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To: monkeyshine
:^) Hiding cash in books is an old practice, probably stemmed from burglars being mostly functionally illiterate. ;^)
7posted on 05/08/2025 11:31:48 PM PDTby SunkenCiv(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: SunkenCiv
I thought maybe it was an early script written for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
8posted on 05/08/2025 11:35:04 PM PDTby mass55th(“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: mass55th
In the sidebar link there’s a pic of a copper sheet that has a musical score on the reverse. Probably part of the MPatHG soundtrack if ya ask me.
9posted on 05/08/2025 11:36:50 PM PDTby SunkenCiv(Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Maybe it’s part of Merlin’s set while he was minstreling at the feast. The crowd held up candles and shouted ‘Freebird!”.
10posted on 05/08/2025 11:55:12 PM PDTby MikelTackNailer(sorry; all out of pronouns today)
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To: mass55th
They say King Arthur could sing a little. It’s true!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os-jJuwgNkA&t=0m10s
11posted on 05/09/2025 12:05:03 AM PDTby deks(Deo duce, ferro comitante · God for guide, sword for companion)
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To: SunkenCiv
Anál nathrach
Orth’ bháis ’s bethad
Do chél dénmha
There, that should make it easier to read.
12posted on 05/09/2025 1:05:21 AM PDTby Telepathic Intruder
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To: SunkenCiv
Really interesting article about the history of leprosy at the same link.
Thanks for sharing.
🙏
13posted on 05/09/2025 2:07:42 AM PDTby (Blessings )
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To: Telepathic Intruder
/read that in Nicol Williamson’s voice
Best. Merlin. Ever.
14posted on 05/09/2025 2:15:28 AM PDTby Salamander(Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRD)
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To: Telepathic Intruder
Bless you for getting it right, spelling-wise
Pun possibly intended
😁
15posted on 05/09/2025 2:20:16 AM PDTby Salamander(Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRD)
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To: Salamander
Copy-paste never fails. Pronouncing it right is the important thing, or you never know what might happen.
16posted on 05/09/2025 2:27:59 AM PDTby Telepathic Intruder
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To: stylecouncilor
Ping
17posted on 05/09/2025 2:29:29 AM PDTby windcliff
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To: Salamander
Despite some melodramatic dialogue, one of the most well-made and beautiful movies ever.
18posted on 05/09/2025 2:33:23 AM PDTby Telepathic Intruder
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To: tired&retired
Did you hear about the businessman who didn’t know his secretary had leprosy until his business fell off . . .
I’ll let myself out.
19posted on 05/09/2025 3:00:49 AM PDTby FreedomPoster(Islam delenda est)
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To: Telepathic Intruder
You know what else is good? Knights of the Round Table with Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, and a cast of thousands. It’s not as gritty as Excalibur, but it’s very entertaining and has some spiritual elements to it as well.
20posted on 05/09/2025 3:15:31 AM PDTby Trump_Triumphant(“They recognized Him in the breaking of the Bread”)
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