Relics of the Past: Calfskin, Authenticity, and Nordic Antiquarianism

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Abstract: This paper examines parchment's transition from a dominant writing material to a perceived marker of antiquity in Western manuscript studies, exploring the consequences of this shift for the later production and preservation of parchment books. Focusing on the development of Icelandic manuscript culture during the seventeenth century, the role of antiquarianism and heightened interest in the writings of the past is considered. The rise of Nordic antiquarianism brought Icelandic scribes and patrons into contact with a scholarly culture driven by a desire for textual authenticity and a broad rediscovery of the history of ancient Scandinavia. Old Norse-Icelandic parchment codices were coveted by academics and collectors alike. At the same time, the seventeenth century saw the emergence of a new phenomenon: high-status parchment books that emulate the mediality of medieval book objects. Icelandic scribes had only recently transitioned to paper for manuscript production, and this paper argues that these younger manuscripts were not created as forgeries, even if there is some evidence for deliberate alteration post-production to make them appear older. Instead, calfskin's newfound status as a writing surface of and for the past encouraged creative engagement with vellum. Analysis reveals that many of the surviving vellum volumes are associated with elite circles in North and West Iceland, and the well-connected book production hub of Hólar in particular. A nostalgic revival of vellum may have occurred within learned circles in Iceland, parallel to the export of manuscripts to the mainland. Using the example of GKS 1002–1003, a pair of manuscripts commissioned by a wealthy farmer in South Iceland whose family had close kinship ties to the bishops of Hólar and Skálholt, it is argued that new vellum manuscripts had a legitimizing function for their owners, allowing those who commissioned them to claim membership in Iceland's literary and cultural elite.