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Unusual Bookbindings: Medieval ‘Hairy’ Manuscripts Revealed to be Sealskin
Medieval scholars, known as scribes, meticulously crafted illustrated volumes called bestiaries, depicting a menagerie of real and fantastical creatures. These historical manuscripts, beyond their intricate illustrations, also utilized animal products in their construction. Book covers of these and other texts were commonly fashioned from the hides of animals such as calves, goats, sheep, deer, and pigs, and, in rarer, more unsettling instances, even humans.
The Mystery of the Hairy Bindings
While most animal hides used for bookbinding were typically shorn to create smooth covers, a particular collection of medieval manuscripts originating from northeastern France exhibits a distinctive, peculiar characteristic. Their aged covers are noticeably covered in the presence of retained hair.
“These books possess a texture that is excessively coarse and a hairiness that far exceeds what would be expected of calfskin,” noted Matthew Collins, a bioarchaeologist affiliated with both the University of Copenhagen and Cambridge University, and a contributing author to the recent research. The precise origin of this shaggy leather, however, has presented a significant challenge to identify.
Clairvaux Abbey: Home of the Furry Tomes
Despite their resemblance to objects that might be found within the magical library of Hogwarts, these furry volumes were initially produced in the scriptorium of Clairvaux Abbey. This abbey was a central location for the Cistercians, a Catholic monastic order. Founded in 1115 within the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, Clairvaux Abbey housed one of the most extensive monastic libraries in Europe during the medieval period.
Discovery of Sealskin Book Covers
Approximately 1,450 volumes from the abbey’s comprehensive collection have survived to the present day. Notably, around half of these manuscripts retain their delicate, original bindings. Many of these bindings were created in the 12th and 13th centuries, employing the Romanesque style, which involved securing parchment pages between wooden boards using thread and cord.
Unshorn Leather and a Misidentification
At Clairvaux Abbey, these Romanesque books were frequently kept within a secondary protective cover distinguished by its furred exterior. Traditionally, it had been presumed that this unshorn leather originated from boars or deer. However, the characteristics of the hair follicles observed on some of these manuscripts did not correspond with the fur of either of these land mammals.
Scientific Analysis Unveils Sealskin Origin
Dr. Collins and his research team undertook an examination of the hairy covers from 16 manuscripts formerly held at Clairvaux Abbey. The researchers carefully employed erasers to gently remove minute, crumb-sized samples from the flesh side of the leather. Subsequently, they applied a variety of advanced analytical techniques to investigate protein sequences and trace amounts of ancient DNA extracted from the leather samples.
The discoveries, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, indicated that the bookbindings were not crafted from the hides of local terrestrial mammals, but rather from sealskin. Several books were found to be bound in harbor seal skin, and at least one originated from a harp seal. Comparisons with contemporary DNA specimens suggest that these seals originated from regions including Scandinavia and Scotland, or potentially from areas as distant as Iceland or Greenland.
Medieval Trade Networks and Monastic Practices
These geographically diverse regions were once interconnected through an intricate network of medieval trade routes. During the Middle Ages, Norse merchants harvested valuable walrus ivory and pelts from Greenland, transporting them to mainland Europe. While Clairvaux Abbey and its monastic inhabitants were situated far inland from these coastal trading posts, the abbey was advantageously located near a heavily used trade artery.
According to Mary Wellesley, a fellow at the Institute of Historical Research in London, specializing in medieval manuscripts (and not involved in the recent study), these findings provide valuable insights into medieval society.
“The minute details preserved within manuscripts can reveal a wealth of information about the societies that produced them,” Dr. Wellesley commented. “There is a common misconception that individuals in this era were largely stationary, but these monastic institutions were integral components of a remarkable network encompassing goods, books, and intellectual exchange.”
Sealskin as a Valuable Medieval Commodity
Seals were considered a precious resource due to their meat, blubber, and water-resistant skin, which could be fashioned into practical items like boots and gloves. Historical records even suggest that sealskin was sometimes utilized as a form of payment for church taxes. While coastal communities in Scandinavia and Ireland employed sealskin for bookbinding, it was a considerably less common practice in mainland Europe.
Cistercian Monks and the Allure of Sealskin Books
However, Cistercian monks seemed to exhibit a specific preference for books bound in sealskin. Evidence of these fur-covered manuscripts has been discovered in other abbeys that originated from Clairvaux. These monks even extended the use of this material to bind their most significant documents, including historical accounts and information pertaining to St. Bernard, a prominent figure within the Cistercian order.
Dr. Collins proposes that the coloration of seal fur may offer an explanation for the monks’ inclination towards using sealskin. Although the manuscript covers now appear in shades of yellowish-gray or mottled brown, they were originally encased in the pure white fur of young seal pups. This pristine white hue would have harmonized with the undyed white vestments worn by the monks.
“In medieval Europe, true white was an exceptionally rare color,” Dr. Collins stated. “It must have possessed a truly captivating, almost magical quality.”
Seals: Mythical Sea Calves
The seals themselves may have also seemed to possess an element of the extraordinary to the monks. In medieval bestiaries, seals were often referred to as “sea calves” and were depicted resembling dogs with fish tails, rather than their actual appearance as stout, flipper-footed pinnipeds.