Unique Canterbury Roll – Ancient Manuscript Reveals Its Secrets About History Of England

AncientPages.com - The Canterbury Roll is a magnificent and unique ancient manuscript that traces the history of England from its mythical origins until the Wars of the Roses.

A section of the Canterbury Roll. University of Canterbury

Being in the care of the University of Canterbury (UC), in Christchurch, New Zealand, for over a century, the 15th-century English manuscript is full of remarkable stories that shed new light on the history of England.

It's a precious ancient document, and scientists from Nottingham Trent University will now travel to New Zealand to investigate the secrets hidden in this magnificent 600-year-old manuscript from medieval England.

"The Canterbury Roll is the most significant medieval artifact in New Zealand. For 100 years, UC has been the guardian of this unique 600-year-old treasure, which tells the history of England from its mythical origins to the late Middle Ages," UC Senior Lecturer Dr. Chris Jones said.

1908 painting by Henry Payne of the scene in the Temple Garden from Shakespeare's play Henry VI, Part 1, where supporters of the rival factions pick either red or white roses.

The ancient document dates back to the Wars of the Roses, a series of English civil wars fought to control the throne of England, which inspired George RR Martin's Game of Thrones.

According to Dr. Jones, the Canterbury Roll features contributions from the key players in the Wars of the Roses - the Lancastrian side initially drew it up in the conflict. Still, it fell into Yorkist hands, and they rewrote part of it.

The documents were created in the 1420s, but it has never been adequately examined. Scientists will be now looking for looking for "hidden" writing in the manuscript. They hope to reveal final secrets harbored in the ancient text.

The UK scientific team will conduct a series of tests on the Roll with advanced imaging equipment.

"The science itself is new: it's groundbreaking work that has never before been applied to this type of manuscript," Dr. Jones said.

Staff and students have been working on translating the manuscript from its original Latin and digitizing it, with the full Roll expected to be publicly available online later this year.

The document's first section is already accessible on the university's website.

Updated on September 30, 2022

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