Hand: 'Be þam Halgan Gaste' (Ker article 20: 124r10–27), BL Harley 3271

Name

'Be þam Halgan Gaste' (Ker article 20: 124r10–27)

Manuscript

BL Harley 3271

Script

Unspecified

Scribe

Unspecified

Date

Saec. xi1

Place

Unknown

Stokes, English Vernacular Script, ca 990–ca 1035, Vol. 2 (PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006)

This hand is very rough and shows large letters with poorly-formed strokes, uneven application of ink, and descenders which interfer with the ascenders of the following line; the aspect is strikingly close to S.1394-1 and S.1399-1. Ascenders are about the length of minims an have heavy barbs or approach-strokes. Descenders are shorter than or as long as minims and are straight. A somewhat rounded but essentially teardrop-shaped a was used, although semi-Caroline a is also found. A similar round æ is also found, the tongue of which is high and the eye can be squinting or can bulge above cue-height to form a low ligature with following t. Round c was used throughout. Round d is also found, the back of which is short and can be nearly bilinear but is usually angled at about 30–40°. The back of e can be rounded with a tongue and hook like those of æ; alternatively the back can be fairly straight, though not horned, and can have a wide and forward-reaching hook and tongue. The tongue of f is short and concave up. The top of g is flat and relatively short, the mid-section descends down and to the left before curving back to the right, and the tail is open and more or less horizontal at the tip. The shoulders of h, m, and n branch somewhat below cue-height, and the down-strokes are forward-leaning. Tall s is found before t, and a low, somewhat deeply-split s was used elsewhere. The scribe largely followed the conventional distinction between þ and ð but showed a slight preference for the former (oþþe, unstæþþignysse). The back of ð is long, angled at about 50–60°, and either straight or slightly concave up, and the through-stroke is long and lacks a hook. Bilinear x was used. A fairly narrow straight-limbed dotted y is found, the right branch of which is hooked left. The top of 7 is rising and is hooked up on the left. Latin is distinguished by script.