Before the printing press, a written work had to be duplicated by hand writing. Every copy of every medieval work has its own manuscript designation, so while the Tacuinum Sanitatis is a popular work through the medieval period, every surviving copy has a designation assigned by the library that conserves it. These designations can change if a manuscript (or ms for short) changes hands or a library is reorganised. Different people may abbreviate ms designations in different ways, which can add further confusion, but these can usually be puzzled through.
Generally, a manuscript designation is library (branch) collection (shelf) shelf number
Eg
Library: Bibliothèque nationale de France (The National Library of France) (BnF for short)
Branch: Paris
collection: Latin (lat for short)
shelf number: 15362
= BnF Paris Latin 15362 or perhaps Bnf Ms Lat.15362
In place of page numbers in modern books, manuscripts have folia, or sheets. Each sheet has a front and a back, known in Latin as recto folio – the right side of the sheet, and verso folio – the reverse side of the sheet. So, 4 recto, or 4r, refers to the front side of the 4th sheet. More on Wikipedia
If you want to tell your buddy about the cool thing you saw in a manuscript illumination, the done thing is to send the manuscript designation and the sheet it’s on. Pictures from manuscripts that lose their metadata and can no longer be traced back to the source make re-enactment and history study worse, so don’t do it.
eg “Check out what that young lady is wearing in Vatican Ottob. Latin 1417 5v!”
On To The Manuscripts Then…
I have a few manuscripts that I keep referring to as I inform myself on the world of Call to Arms Aus.
Bodleian Library MS. Canon. Class. Latin 81
Basinio de’ Basini’s “Hesperis” or “Hesperides”, an epic poem about the controversial Italian nobleman Sigismondo Malatesta.
A rich source of depictions of Italian condottieri on the march and in combat
Bodleian Ms. Canon. Class. Lat 81. 27r
BnF Latin Ms 630.
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b525024658/f1.planchecontact
Another copy of Hesperides by Basinio Basini
Vatican Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Ottoboni Latin 6043
https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.lat.6043
Another beautifully illustrated Hesperis, rich with military life.
Vatican. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Ottoboni Latin 1417
https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Ott.lat.1417
1460-1500 Italy
You’ll almost certainly recognise the injured warrior in the mail sleeves on 20r
There is also a sketch of a siege on 24r that bears study though
Universitat de València Biblioteca Històrica, BH Ms. 837
https://weblioteca.uv.es/cgi/view.pl?sesion=202308301134298053&source=uv_ms_0837&div=5
The Montefeltro/Urbino Bible – Urb.Lat.1 & Urb.Lat.2
Italy, 1477
https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Urb.lat.1
https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Urb.lat.2
BnF Latin 7239
A collection of C15th notebooks
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b100203224/f36.item
Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Mss.h.h.I.3: Diebold Schilling, Amtliche Berner Chronik, vol. 3
https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/list/one/bbb/Mss-hh-I0003
Switzerland, 1483
Schilling’s own description of the Burgundian wars and over six hundred illustrations.
Aargauer Kantonsbibliothek ZF18
Switzerland 1510-1541
Chronicle of the Burgundian Wars and other Swiss military campaigns up to 1515. Lots of fantastic details, but illustrated through an early C16th viewpoint.
https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/thumbs/kba/Ms-ZF-0018/
Le Petit Jean de Saintré KBR MS.9547
https://opac.kbr.be/Library/doc/SYRACUSE/18355536/le-petit-jean-de-saintre?_lg=en-GB
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