The legend of Merlin and King Arthur has been retold in countless variations over the centuries. These stories were typically hand-written in medieval manuscripts, and some versions are now considerably rare. There are, for example, only 40 known copies of a sequel that was once very popular, called Suite Vulgate du Merlin. However, University of Cambridge researchers recently found fragments of a copy hidden in their collection. It was used as recycled binding for an Elizabethan archival register of property deeds. It was also impossible to read at the time it was discovered as researchers feared damaging the paper if they tried to separate or remove the fragile papers.
Deciphering The Ancient Merlin and King Arthur Manuscript
Following years of collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory, the hidden texts have finally been revealed without having to handle a single page. Several techniques and tools were combined to create a 3d model of the fragmented text, including multispectral imaging. They also used the zoology department’s CT and X-ray machines to map the underlying binding structures and observe the stitching techniques that were used. Since there was so much stitching in the binding, much of the text was unreadable. Therefore, the archivists had to gather images from every possible angle using prisms, mirrors, and magnets. Using all these tools combined, they were eventually able to create a high-definition digital 3D model that could be unfolded and analyzed as if it were the real thing.
A few decades ago, they would have simply unfolded and flattened the binding to access the text. However, this new method allows them to view the text while still preserving the binding. This provides them with important insights into the archival methods of the 16th century. After analyzing the text about Merlin and King Arthur, experts deduced that the fragment belonged to a shortened version of the legend. They were also able to determine that it was likely produced sometime between 1275 and 1315 CE due to the blue and red ink used for the decorated initials. This was a period when Arthurian romance stories were especially popular among the country’s noblewomen. Upon first examining the binding, the researchers thought it retold the story about Sir Gawain from the 14th century.
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The Vulgate Merlin Sequel
However, upon further examination, they realized that it was, in fact, a very significant Arthurian text, the Vulgate Merlin sequel of the old French. The first part of the story is a recollection of the Christian victory at the Battle of Cambenic against the Saxons. The next scene is about Merlin disguised as a harpist and appearing in Arthur’s court during the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Now that this method of translating and preserving text has proven effective, the archivists hope the same can be used in other projects involving delicate artifacts. While the Merlin and King Arthur sequel story was once very popular, it eventually fell out of public favour. This is why the fragments were used to create binding for another book. This was a common practice in those days, meaning that there could be many more rare and valuable texts still lying hidden in old book bindings. According to one of the researchers, Fabry-Tehranchi, “This project was not just about unlocking one text—it was about developing a methodology that can be used for other manuscripts”.
The researchers do not know who the creator of this specific version is, though. Based on the stylistic evidence, it seems to have been written in a northern French dialect by an unknown scribe. While the stories of Merlin and King Arthur are English and Celtic legends, they were written in Old French due to the Norman Conquest. However, Old French was no longer popular in England by the 16th century, and there was a general shift to English. This may explain why the fragmented story was used as recycled binding in the first place. It had lost its appeal and ended up as part of another artifact.
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