Handwriting Transcription

One activity I tried in class for the first time was transcribing medieval handwriting. First we learned about different kinds of scripts, and then we tried to apply our knowledge of those scripts into deciphering snippets of texts from manuscripts. I did not find this very difficult at first, but as I worked to decipher more and more snippets, and as my focus waned, I noticed that it got much harder. These exercises took a lot of persistence and focus to accomplish.

I think that focus and determination helped me the most in this exercise, more than knowledge of the letters and script did. This surprised me, but was also an encouraging takeaway because it made these medieval texts seem more accessible.