The Systeris of the Schenis and their book(s)

Description

Medieval bestsellers were, by and large, the books that modern researchers now value least. They were patristic writings, legal textbooks, liturgical books, and books of hours. These Latin books were bestsellers because they were widely needed for work, study, or religious practice. They are also the books that were lost in the greatest numbers at the Reformation and although recycled fragments sometimes survive in the bindings of early printed books, sometimes the losses from particular locations have been more or less absolute. This paper focusses on the Dominican nunnery of Sciennes, Edinburgh, from which only a single manuscript survives, a copy of the order's Constitutions (Edinburgh University Library MS 150) which makes clear that the sisters did have books. Given that so little of a material nature has survived, the paper considers other strategies that could be used to gain insight into what these late medieval Scottish nuns read.

Period	26 Jun 2025
Event title	Early Book Society Biennial Conference: Readers, Makers, and Medieval Consumer Culture: Manuscripts and Books from 1350-1550
Event type	Conference
Location	New York, United States, New YorkShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International