Manuscript Colophons Research Articles

The Political Percepion of Time in 11-13 Century Armenian Epigraphy and Manuscript Colophons

The Political Percepion of Time in 11-13 Century Armenian Epigraphy and Manuscript Colophons

GENEALOGY OF THE AKUSHIN QADIS IN THE LIGHT OF NEWLY SOURCES

The article introduces new epigraphic Arabic-language sources on the history of Akusha, revealed among the genealogical records and colophons of manuscripts. The new sources substantially supplement the information about the qadis of Akusha, and in some cases make it possible to radically revise the existing scientific ideas about the genealogical ties of the qadis of Akusha-Dargo. In the second half of the 19th century, an officer of the tsarist army A.V. Komarov was the first to suggest the existence in certain territories of Dagestan of the institution of hereditary qadis, who either had already became qadi-emirs, “spiritual princes”, or had a tendency to turn into such. He localized the presence of such an institution in the northern part of Tabasaran, which adjoined Derbent from the west, and in the Akusha union of communities. In 1986, one of the authors of this article, B.G. Aliev, compiled a list of Akushin qadis on the basis of Russian sources, A.R. Shikhsaidov’s works and field material. For several decades, this list has been of great help in the study of the political history of the region. In the light of new data, the authors raise questions regarding the chronology of the Akushin qadis in power and question the information of A.V. Komarov. The authors introduce new data on the chronology of Akushin qadis’ stay in power, on the existence of the institution of hereditary of Akushin qadis in the 17th – early 19th centuries, in the inheritance of the mentioned title within one Akushin clan, and even more so, within one family. The authors admit that by the middle of the 18th century there was a tendency among the qadis of Akusha to turn into the likeness of the qadis-princes of Northern Tabasaran, but the “Dargin” elite of the late 18th century did not approve it. The article provides general information about Akusha, a detailed historiography of the issue of Akushin qadis, a review of new sources and the conclusions of the authors. When writing this article, a comparative method was applied.

GENEALOGY OF THE AKUSHIN QADIS IN THE LIGHT OF NEWLY SOURCES

The article introduces new epigraphic Arabic-language sources on the history of Akusha, revealed among the genealogical records and colophons of manuscripts. The new sources substantially supplement the information about the qadis of Akusha, and in some cases make it possible to radically revise the existing scientific ideas about the genealogical ties of the qadis of Akusha-Dargo. In the second half of the 19th century, an officer of the tsarist army A.V. Komarov was the first to suggest the existence in certain territories of Dagestan of the institution of hereditary qadis, who either had already became qadi-emirs, “spiritual princes”, or had a tendency to turn into such. He localized the presence of such an institution in the northern part of Tabasaran, which adjoined Derbent from the west, and in the Akusha union of communities. In 1986, one of the authors of this article, B.G. Aliev, compiled a list of Akushin qadis on the basis of Russian sources, A.R. Shikhsaidov’s works and field material. For several decades, this list has been of great help in the study of the political history of the region. In the light of new data, the authors raise questions regarding the chronology of the Akushin qadis in power and question the information of A.V. Komarov. The authors introduce new data on the chronology of Akushin qadis’ stay in power, on the existence of the institution of hereditary of Akushin qadis in the 17th – early 19th centuries, in the inheritance of the mentioned title within one Akushin clan, and even more so, within one family. The authors admit that by the middle of the 18th century there was a tendency among the qadis of Akusha to turn into the likeness of the qadis-princes of Northern Tabasaran, but the “Dargin” elite of the late 18th century did not approve it. The article provides general information about Akusha, a detailed historiography of the issue of Akushin qadis, a review of new sources and the conclusions of the authors. When writing this article, a comparative method was applied.

The Georgian Milieu and the Metaphrastic Menologion: Three Accounts about Symeon Metaphrastes

The article investigates the reception history of the Metaphrastic menologion in the medieval Georgian milieu. The Georgian literati were the first non-Greeks to translate the metaphrastic hagiographical literature. Soon after Symeon Metaphrastes (also called Symeon the Logothetes; end of tenth century) finished his literary project, the Georgian monks at the monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos started translating not only Symeon's saints' lives but also adopted metaphrastic method and applied it to other texts. The tradition set in motion at Iviron was successfully continued and cultivated by Georgians in various parts of the Byzantine Empire, mainly in Constantinople and at the Black Mountain near Antioch. The increased interest of the Georgian learned monks in Symeon Metaphrastes' saints' lives demonstrates the popularity of Metaphrastic menologion and success of Symeon's literary project. The article focuses on several extant Georgian sources that provide unique information about Symeon Metaphrastes, his project and rewriting method. The accounts by Ephrem Mc‘ire, Theophilos the Hieromonk, and Ioannes Xiphilinos the Younger that survive only in Georgian, shed new light on the history and trajectory of the metaphrastic movement. The accounts include manuscript colophons, commentaries, and prayers for the rulers. These testimonies allow one to understand why Georgians wholeheartedly embraced literary trends set in motion in the center of the Byzantine Empire.

ALANS IN THE ARMENIAN WRITTEN SOURCES OF THE 12th –18th CENTURIES

The paper presents the translations, introduction and interpretation of information about Alans, obtained from the Armenian written sources of the 12th – 18th centuries. The subject of research is information from the following sources: Armenian historical works published in Russian or the original language, as well as historical or grammatical works, aide-memoirs and colophons of manuscripts that have not yet been in the focus of researchers’ attention or are introduced into the scientific use for the first time. Most of the sources published here have been identified in the collection of the M. Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran). The information of the Armenian written sources dates the 12th – 18th centuries. This allows us to clarify the ethno-confessional map of the Caucasus in the 12th – 14th centuries and its transformation in the later period. Some of them, in particular, suggest the idea about the identity of ethnonyms “Alans” and “Osi/Oseti”. The sources also provide information about the written languages of the peoples of the Caucasus that were used in worship service. The paper pays great attention to the study of the issues of the “Alans”, “Alan Region” and “Alan Gates” mentioned in Armenian sources of the 16th – 18th centuries. The study uses the analysis of the available information on this oeconym, since in late Armenian sources the Alan Gates are localized in Derbent, and the terms “Alans” and the “Alan Region” are used in relation to the population and territory of the former Caucasian Albania.

The Relationship between Three Short Indigenous Chinese Buddhist Scriptures and the Textual Practices Found in their Dunhuang Manuscript Colophons

Abstract This article studies the relationship between colophons for, and the content of, Dunhuang manuscripts of three indigenous Chinese Buddhist scriptures: the Jiu zhuzhongsheng kunan jing, the Xin pusa jing, and the Quanshan jing. I find that the aspirations for copying these scriptures and the ways of using them are mostly consistent with their content. The patrons or users of these scriptures seem to have largely understood their content. Also, the similarities in the content, and the length of the Jiu zhuzhongsheng kunan jing and the Xin pusa jing should be two factors that account for why these scriptures were frequently copied as one set. Concerns for one’s own family and the relevant instructions in the texts may have led patrons to prefer to copy the Xin pusa jing twice, but the other two scriptures only once as a single scribal act.

Reflection of Mongolian Imperial Ideas in the Medieval Armenian Sources

The article analyzes the information from Armenian sources of the 13th–14th centuries about the Mongolian imperial ideology refracted through the prism of the Christian worldview. In addition to historical works, the study looks at the colophons of manuscripts and some relevant poetic literary works. Armenian authors retell the legend that the Lord himself gave the whole world to Genghis Khan, and that the code of the Mongolian Imperial legislation – the Great Yasa – also has a heavenly origin. Apparently, these legends, which were interspersed with echoes of some real events from the early Mongolian history, were widely known among the multi-ethnic elite of the Hulaguid State. The Mongol invaders were perceived by the Armenians as “God’s punishment” for sins, which is proves to be quite a representative view at the Mongols in monotheistic cultures; in fact, this was an important factor legitimizing the Mongolian power. Circulating rumors about some Khan’s intention to be baptized gave additional weight to the legitimacy of the Mongol rule. The analyzed sources greatly vary in determining the extent of Mongolian aggression. Some of them give rather specific description of Mongolian military campaigns and list the countries and historic regions they conquered, ahile some speak about the nomads’ conquest of “the whole world”. Actually, the limits of “the whole world” in these works often coincide with the limits of Armenian cultural contacts and exclude countries that did not obey to the Mongols, despite the authors’ full awareness of the Mongols’ attempts to conquer them. Assessments of the Mongolian rulers were determined, first of all, by their attitude to Christians, while even the Ilkhans who professed Islam received positive reviews. Armenian authors clearly tried to avoid critical statements about not only Hulagu and his descendants, but also about the great Khans, and in this they are very close to the positions of their Georgian, Syrian, and Russian contemporaries. The author argues that in a number of cases Armenian historians have provided fairly accurate information about the fundamental principles of the Mongolian Empire, including its ideological foundations. Therefore, their information is very useful for the reconstruction of the formation of Mongolian imperial ideology in the 13th century.

Recurrent Pattern Modelling in a Corpus of Armenian Manuscript Colophons

Colophons of Armenian manuscripts are replete with yet untapped riches. Formulae are not the least among them: these recurrent stereotypical patterns conceal many clues as to the schools and networks of production and diffusion of books in Armenian communities. This paper proposes a methodology for exploiting these sources, as elaborated in the framework of a PhD research project about Armenian colophon formulae. Firstly, the reader is briefly introduced to the corpus of Armenian colophons and then, to the purposes of our project. In the third place, we describe our methodology, relying on lemmatization and modelling of patterns into automata. Fourthly and finally, the whole process is illustrated by a basic case study, the occasion of which is taken to outline the kind of results that can be achieved by combining this methodology with a philologico-historical approach to colophons.

Recurrent Pattern Modelling in a Corpus of Armenian Manuscript Colophons

Colophons of Armenian manuscripts are replete with yet untapped riches. Formulae are not the least among them: these recurrent stereotypical patterns conceal many clues as to the schools and networks of production and diffusion of books in Armenian communities. This paper proposes a methodology for exploiting these sources, as elaborated in the framework of a PhD research project about Armenian colophon formulae. Firstly, the reader is briefly introduced to the corpus of Armenian colophons and then, to the purposes of our project. In the third place, we describe our methodology, relying on lemmatization and modelling of patterns into automata. Fourthly and finally, the whole process is illustrated by a basic case study, the occasion of which is taken to outline the kind of results that can be achieved by combining this methodology with a philologico-historical approach to colophons.

Examining the Late Medieval Village from the Case at Ambroyi, Armenia

Examining the Late Medieval Village from the Case at Ambroyi, Armenia

Formulaic Prose? Rhetoric and Meaning in Late Medieval Syriac Manuscript Colophons

Formulaic Prose? Rhetoric and Meaning in Late Medieval Syriac Manuscript Colophons

The various dating systems employed by Armenian scribes in the colophons of manuscripts

The colophons of Armenian manuscripts form a separate genre in Armenian literature, dating from the earliest period of manuscript production to the end of the 18th century, when the practice transferred to early Armenian printing. The colophons not only provide information on the scribes, artists, sponsors, commissioners and the spread of scriptoriums, but also details on the trials and tribulations suffered by the scribes, their motives for copying manuscripts, injunctions regarding the use of manuscripts and anathemas against violators. Some of these subjects I have attempted to present in my “Observing the scribe at work: knowledge transfer and scribal professionalism” [The Bodleian Library record 27, 1 (April 2014), pp. 71-84]. The focus of the present paper is the use of the various dating systems by Armenian scribes. Armenian scribes are very aware and conscious of the need to firmly ground their “memorials” in history for future generations, to leave as little doubt as possible on the provenance of...

Note on Tai Lue Wooden Buddha Image Inscriptions and Buddhist Manuscript Colophons from Northern Laos

Cette note s’inscrit dans le cadre de recherches interdisciplinaires sur les paratextes des manuscrits tai lue du Yunnan et du Nord du Laos menées à l’université de Hambourg. Elle dresse un inventaire des éléments constitutifs communs à ces inscriptions et colophons tai lue du Nord du Laos et procède ensuite à leur analyse détaillée.

Unheard Voices: Women's Roles in Medieval Buddhist Artistic Production and Religious Practices in South Asia

Previous scholarship on women's involvement in Buddhism in medieval India assumes that women, both lay and monastic, disappeared from the scene by the ninth century. This view may be rooted more in our way of seeing (or not seeing) than in historical reality. By exploring neglected material evidence that shows patronage patterns of Buddhist religious objects, such as inscriptions, manuscript colophons, and visual representations of donors, this article suggests that women played a visible role in supporting medieval Indian Buddhist institutions. First, two objects donated by two nuns are examined to discuss the continuing existence of the bhikṣuṇī (Buddhist nuns) order in twelfth-century India that had a considerable command over economic resources. The second part of this article attempts to uncover the voice for lay female donors and addresses their participation in religious practices in a medieval Indian Buddhist context based on a socioeconomic analysis of art historical and epigraphic evidence.

“May the Writer Be Strong”: Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts Copied by and for Women

Jewish books, to learn from and to pray from, were in demand long before the invention of printing, and the only way of fulfilling that demand was to produce them by hand. From the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, we know of named Jewish women who were involved in the manual production of Hebrew books, both as producers and as consumers. Most of our information on this topic is derived from scribal colophons—short texts appended to the end of a manuscript by the copyist. These could include the name of the scribe, the date of the book’s completion, the place where it was copied, and similar pieces of information. Sometimes manuscript colophons also identify the person who commissioned the copying of a book or for whom it was copied. In this essay, we discuss Jewish female copyists who are known from their colophons, as well as women who are mentioned in colophons as commissioners or recipients of manuscript books. Jewish books, to learn from and to pray from, were in demand long before the invention of printing, and the only way of fulfilling that demand was to produce them by hand. From the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, we know of named Jewish women who were involved in the manual production of Hebrew books, both as producers and as consumers. Most of our information on this topic is derived from scribal colophons—short texts appended to the end of a manuscript by the copyist. These could include the name of the scribe, the date of the book’s completion, the place where it was copied, and similar pieces of information. Sometimes manuscript colophons also identify the person who commissioned the copying of a book or for whom it was copied. In this essay, we discuss Jewish female copyists who are known from their colophons,

Texts from the Margin: Lydgate, Recipes, and Glosses in Buhler MS 17

���� � Buhler MS 17 of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, 1 contains in the main (fols. 5r‐133r) a copy of the Liber ruralium commodorum (Book of Rural Profits) by Petrus Crescentius (Pietro de Crescenzi), probably composed between 1304 and 1309. This treatise on medieval gardening and other country matters has attracted some attention, 2 both for its text and for the miniatures that accompany it in some manuscripts, among them the French translation in Morgan MS M.232. 3 On the spare leaves preceding and following the Liber, Buhler MS 17 preserves, in addition, a number of short Latin and Middle English texts. The present article will offer a discussion of the English texts in the volume, together with a transcription of the unedited Middle English prose texts. The English verse texts in Buhler MS 17 provide some clues about its dating. Previous cataloguers have dated both the main part of the manuscript and the flyleaf texts to the early fifteenth century. 4 Folio 4v preserves a verse stanza excerpted from Walton’s Middle English translation of Boethius’s De consolatione philosophiae ; 5 since manuscript colophons date Walton’s Boethius to 1410, 6 this excerpted stanza can be no earlier than that date. Folio 2r‐v preserves a copy of the first redaction of John Lydgate’s “Verses on the Kings of England,” 7 to which the MED assigns a date of ante 1449, that is, before Lydgate’s death. But the poem in its various incarnations can probably be more narrowly dated. The last stanza in the Buhler MS version concerns Henry VI:

The Use of Owners' Jingles in Italian Vernacular Manuscripts

"The Use of Owners' Jingles in Italian Vernacular Manuscripts." Manuscript colophons furnish imponant codicological information regarding scribes, dates, and locations of production. Additional information, in prose or verse, was often included or appended to these formal statements of completion. Most colophon Studies have focused on monastic codices in Latin or on "popular" examples in English, French and German. After the emergence of vernacular languages and the increase in literacy, clerical and professional practices passed to the noncommercial lay copyist. Scribes or book owners, often the same person, at first imitated or translated Latin concluding formulae, but soon developed new forms which reflected the exigencies of the nonscholastic reader. This study identifies verses in Italian which were copied by late medieval merchants or tradesmen into books produced for their private enjoyment. These rhymes are more than literary curiosities: they document the owners' immediate concerns for the books' preservation, indicate how vernacular texts circulated, and offer rare glimpses into book usage in a domestic setting.