A new manuscript has been discovered by Dr James Wade from Cambridge University, offering valuable insights into minstrel’s life, medieval society and comic culture. The manuscript, known as the Heege Manuscript, was copied in 1480 by Richard Heege, a household cleric and tutor in Derbyshire. It includes humorous texts such as the Hunting of the Hare, a tail-rhyme burlesque romance, a prose sermon and an alliterative nonsense verse. The texts, described as “mad and offensive,” reveal an element of stand-up comedy that pokes fun at everyone, high and low, including kings, peasants, and priests. The Hunting of the Hare poem is believed to have inspired Monty Python sketches. The manuscript paints a picture of festive entertainment in medieval England.
The manuscript sheds new light on British comic culture between Chaucer and Shakespeare and reveals the crucial role played by minstrels in medieval society. A rare record of medieval live comedy performances, the manuscript exposes the style of stand-up comedy that placed the audience at the center of the act.
The Heege Manuscript is not the only manuscript that sheds light on medieval history. Using CT scanning, researchers have found that medieval fragments of manuscript hidden beneath some books’ covers can shed light on how, when, and where early books were assembled. Until the mid-15th century, books were written by hand, often on calf, goat, or sheepskin. Recycling older, durable manuscripts was common practice to reinforce the structure of new, printed books. The Latin root of the word manuscript means hand, and the manuscripts were often works of art in their own right, with multiple colors of ink. CT scanning can uncover these hidden manuscripts and provide potential insight into discovering unknown manuscripts.
In conclusion, the newly discovered Heege Manuscript provides valuable insights into medieval society, revealing humorous texts that showcase a style of stand-up comedy that pokes fun at everyone, high and low. This rare record of medieval live comedy performance offers an essential glimpse into minstrels’ lives and their crucial role in medieval society. Additionally, CT scanning can uncover hidden manuscripts that allow for the potential discovery of unknown manuscripts and provide insights into how early books were assembled. These discoveries reveal the evolution of book production from the old handwritten methods to the newer and more efficient printing press.
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