Cambridge University researchers successfully deciphered a 700-year-old manuscript fragment containing rare stories of King Arthur and the wizard Merlin. The manuscript, part of the Suite Vulgate du Merlin, was discovered in 2019 when it was found sewn into the binding of a 16th-century register book in the archives of Cambridge University Library. Over the centuries, the fragment had been folded, worn, and repurposed as a binding for land ownership lists.
Experts, including Irène Fabry-Tehranchi from the University of Cambridge, determined that the manuscript was created between 1275 and 1315.
To retrieve the hidden text, scientists employed microtomography, multispectral imaging, and 3D modeling. These methods allowed them to virtually reconstruct the fragile manuscript, using different wavelengths of light—ranging from ultraviolet to infrared—to reveal and record the erased writing. With these approaches, the material in the manuscript’s binding could be deciphered more accurately than ever, leading to new conclusions and comparative studies.
The preserved fragment contains two key episodes from the Arthurian legends. One scene recounts the victory of Christians over Saxons in the Battle of Cambrai. Another features Merlin, disguised as a harpist, who appears at King Arthur's court during the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reflecting his magical abilities and role as the king's advisor.
The text is written in Old French, the language of the nobility in England after the Norman Conquest, indicating the scribe's mastery of a dialect spoken by the British aristocracy. Fewer than 40 manuscripts of the Suite Vulgate du Merlin remain in the world, each differing in design and content because it was individually copied by medieval scribes. Medieval scribes worked by hand, making each manuscript unique.
Among the tools used was a multispectral camera capable of capturing dozens of images of each page at different wavelengths. Hundreds of images were taken under different angles and lighting, including UV and infrared, then assembled like a puzzle. This work allowed the researchers to read hidden areas of the text without unfolding the parchment or unsewing it.
The manuscript belongs to the genre of Arthurian romances, which were intended for a noble audience, including women. It reflects the popularity of Arthurian legends during that time, featuring themes such as forbidden love, magical wonders, and powerful knights with supernatural abilities. In England, the Lancelot-Grail Cycle was particularly popular for these reasons.
The researchers decided to preserve the manuscript in the place where it was found because it "tells about archival practices in England in the 16th century" and is "an independent part of history," the researchers explained.
According to Fabri-Tahranchi, the medieval parchment had been repurposed in the 16th century as part of a property register for Huntingfield Hall in Suffolk, a practice that underscores how valuable vellum pages were often reused in post-medieval England.
The Cambridge Digital Library has made the newly revealed fragments accessible online.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.