Understanding Postils: A Guide to Medieval Manuscript Annotations
Postils are a type of annotation or marginal note that were commonly used in medieval manuscripts. They were typically written in the margins of the text, and were used to provide additional information or explanations about the content of the main text. Postils could be written by the scribe who copied the manuscript, or by later owners or readers who wanted to add their own notes or comments.
Postils can take many different forms, depending on the purpose and context in which they were written. Some common types of postils include:
1. Glosses: These are brief explanations or definitions of key terms or concepts that appear in the main text.
2. Marginalia: These are notes or comments written in the margins of the text, often by later readers or owners of the manuscript.
3. Rubrics: These are headings or titles that are used to organize and structure the content of the main text.
4. Scholia: These are notes or comments that are written in the margins of the text, often by later scholars or editors who were studying the manuscript.
5. Interlinear glosses: These are notes or comments that are written between the lines of the main text, often to provide additional information or explanations about the content of the text.
Overall, postils were an important feature of medieval manuscript culture, and they can provide valuable insights into the ways in which readers and scribes interacted with and understood the texts they were copying and studying.
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