Cambridge, England —(Map)
Scientists working at the Cambridge University Library have discovered a lost story from the middle ages about King Arthur and Merlin. The story was hiding in plain sight – it had been used as a book cover. Now scientists have carefully “unfolded” the book cover digitally, revealing the hidden story.
In 2019, an old book that listed property records caught the eye of Dr. Irène Fabry-Tehranchi. The book dated from the 1500s, but looked even older. The cover was parchment (made from animal skin), and was folded around the book and stitched onto it. Old French handwriting covered the parchment.
(Source: [CC BY-NC 3.0], Cambridge University Library.)
By studying the cover, Dr. Fabry-Tehranchi learned that the writing was about King Arthur and the wizard, Merlin. It was part of an old French story that came after the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
The French tale is known as the “Suite Vulgate du Merlin”. There are fewer than 40 manuscripts – hand-written copies – of this story. Each copy is different because they were all written by hand. The colors and the writing style helped the scientists figure out that the book’s cover was created between 1275 and 1315.
(Source: [CC BY 4.0], Cambridge University Library.)
The book’s cover was clearly of great interest. But the parchment was old and fragile. The writing on it had been rubbed off in some places. Worst of all, most of the writing on the parchment was hidden.
Scientists at the library worried that the parchment would get damaged if it were removed. Removing it would also ruin the book it was covering, which was also of historical interest.
(Source: [CC BY-NC 3.0], Cambridge University Library.)
The researchers decided to try to digitally “unfold” the parchment. They took high-quality photos of the parchment using light of different wavelengths. These images revealed details that hadn’t been noticed before.
The team then used a CT (computed tomography) scanner to take 3D X-ray images of the book. This led to a 3D model, which allowed the scientists to see how the parchment was folded and sewn into the book.
(Source: [CC BY 4.0], Cambridge University Library.)
Once they understood this, the researchers were able to use special equipment to take even more pictures of all the different parts of the cover – even the hidden ones.
Then, by carefully putting all these pieces together, the team created a digital image of what the cover would look like if it were unfolded. Dr. Fabry-Tehranchi said it was “like solving a puzzle.”
(Source: Screenshot, [CC BY 4.0], Cambridge University Library.)
The scientists were now able to read everything written on the parchment. They learned that the parchment told two stories. One was about a battle in which Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain, fought with his magic sword, Excalibur. The other story was about Merlin appearing to King Arthur disguised as a blind musician. Later, in battle, Merlin turns King Arthur’s flag into a dragon.
The five-year effort wasn’t just about uncovering these King Arthur stories. Dr. Fabry-Tehranchi says the project helped the researchers develop new methods of studying old documents that are easily damaged and have hidden surfaces. They think their methods will help libraries around the world unlock even more secrets hidden in fragile documents.
Did You Know…?
You can explore the parchment in more detail on Cambridge University Library’s website.
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