Welcome to the digital edition of the Chronicle of Melrose!
This work is funded by Arts & Humanities Research Council project Scribal autonomy in multi-scribe manuscripts: digital visualisations through the Chronicle of Melrose Abbey (Early Career Research, Development & Engagement Fellowship, Grant ref. AH/W010216/1), January 2023 - June 2025.
London, British Library Cotton MS Faustina B. IX f.19r
About the Chronicle
Melrose Abbey is one of Scotland's greatest Cistercian houses, founded by King David I in 1136 in the Scottish borders. The Chronicle of Melrose is the principal chronicle source for Scotland in central middle ages. The manuscript was created in the 12th century, and received additions throughout the 13th century and beyond. The chronicle's contents span from the year AD 1 through to the 1270s (with a gap from 250 to 730), plus an assortment of other texts including letters, king-lists, lists of burials at the abbey, verses on Scottish kings, and a 'little work' on Simon de Montfort (d. 1265).
Multi-Scribe Nature
The chronicle is a spectacular example of a 'multi-scribe' text that grew in a piecemeal way across a number of generations. Chronicles like Melrose's are sometimes read as a single 'text' which reflect an 'official' institutional view. When we look at the original manuscript, however, many different voices can be heard.
Digital Edition Features
The digital edition foregrounds the multi-scribe aspect in two main ways:
- Integration of digital images side-by-side with the edited text and translation
- Annotation of different scribal profiles on both text and images
Technical Standards
The digital edition makes use of current standards to maximize reuse and sustainability:
- Images based on the International Image Interoperability Framework
- Text marked-up using the Text Encoding Initiative
Contact
Any queries should be directed to joanna.tucker@glasgow.ac.uk