Carin Ruff
@carinr.bsky.social
Medievalist, Latinist, paleographer, Episcopalian, with novel in progress. DC-based, with beagle. Web: ruffnotes.org
Cover image is from the Reichenau Gospels, Walters Art Museum MS W7 fol. 7r.
Cover image is from the Reichenau Gospels, Walters Art Museum MS W7 fol. 7r.
Pinned
Carin Ruff
@carinr.bsky.social
· Feb 25
Pinned intro: Most days I make a post about medieval manuscripts associated with a saint of the day and discuss their #paleography. I generally follow medievalists, book history people, Episcopal/Anglican folks, and local Washington, DC history/civic affairs/statehood peeps.
This is the feast of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, d. 397. 🕯️ BNF lat. 1732 is an early-8th-c. Uncial MS of several of his works. The headings to the various items have lovely colors and some fun beasties. The Uncial is very mannered: look at the loops on those As! #medievalsky
December 7, 2025 at 2:38 PM
This is the feast of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, d. 397. 🕯️ BNF lat. 1732 is an early-8th-c. Uncial MS of several of his works. The headings to the various items have lovely colors and some fun beasties. The Uncial is very mannered: look at the loops on those As! #medievalsky
Reposted by Carin Ruff
"Write! The written letter endures!" Scribal wit at the start of financial records for London bridge in 1424. Cleverly, the scribe created the letter 'S' by folding a speech scroll, so the form of the letter conveys the meaning of the conventional proverb, "speech is fleeting but writing endures."
December 7, 2025 at 11:48 AM
"Write! The written letter endures!" Scribal wit at the start of financial records for London bridge in 1424. Cleverly, the scribe created the letter 'S' by folding a speech scroll, so the form of the letter conveys the meaning of the conventional proverb, "speech is fleeting but writing endures."
Reposted by Carin Ruff
If you aren't watching this live cam of a Hawaiian volcano erupting, what are you even doing??
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
[V2cam] Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii (east Halemaʻumaʻu crater)
YouTube video by USGS
www.youtube.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:15 AM
If you aren't watching this live cam of a Hawaiian volcano erupting, what are you even doing??
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyt...
Reposted by Carin Ruff
Why let the War On Advent win your yard? Here’s a church with an outdoor Advent wreath made of pool noodles. Brilliant! 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️
December 5, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Why let the War On Advent win your yard? Here’s a church with an outdoor Advent wreath made of pool noodles. Brilliant! 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️
Reposted by Carin Ruff
William Pope, 1st Earl of Downe, in amazing outfit before his swanky house. Are those gloves tied up in cloak cord? Cool! Painted in 1603 by Robert Peake, whose day is today.
December 7, 2025 at 12:33 AM
William Pope, 1st Earl of Downe, in amazing outfit before his swanky house. Are those gloves tied up in cloak cord? Cool! Painted in 1603 by Robert Peake, whose day is today.
Reposted by Carin Ruff
As the sun sets here in Washington, a reminder: Today is the earliest sunset for this winter. While it will take time for the sunset to happen after 5pm again (January 5th), we're already pushing back a bit of the darkness.
December 6, 2025 at 9:48 PM
As the sun sets here in Washington, a reminder: Today is the earliest sunset for this winter. While it will take time for the sunset to happen after 5pm again (January 5th), we're already pushing back a bit of the darkness.
Further advice for living: get yourself a history PhD student as a niece, so when you're driving down North Capitol Street to & pass Rock Creek Cemetery & start discoursing on the relationship between the Glorious Revolution & the Church of England in Maryland, you have an appreciative audience.
Advice for living: Get yourself a friend who when she arrives after a transatlantic flight will listen to you natter on about textual criticism over hot cocoa, follow your argument, and ask intelligent questions that clarify your thinking despite jetlag. +
December 6, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Further advice for living: get yourself a history PhD student as a niece, so when you're driving down North Capitol Street to & pass Rock Creek Cemetery & start discoursing on the relationship between the Glorious Revolution & the Church of England in Maryland, you have an appreciative audience.
Reposted by Carin Ruff
For our VIEWS advent calendar this year we are going to highlight a different script every day, with something to watch or read from our archives.
#adventcalendar #adventcalendar2026
#adventcalendar #adventcalendar2026
christmas decorations hanging on a string with numbers 1 through 24
ALT: christmas decorations hanging on a string with numbers 1 through 24
media.tenor.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:48 PM
For our VIEWS advent calendar this year we are going to highlight a different script every day, with something to watch or read from our archives.
#adventcalendar #adventcalendar2026
#adventcalendar #adventcalendar2026
Shrimp étouffée at Puddin' at Union Market delivers as promised, and the people there are so nice! 10/10 will go back and eat more things.
I confess I had never been to Union market because I am skeptical of newly trendy (like, this millennium) destinations in DC and it always seemed far away.
I confess I had never been to Union market because I am skeptical of newly trendy (like, this millennium) destinations in DC and it always seemed far away.
December 6, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Shrimp étouffée at Puddin' at Union Market delivers as promised, and the people there are so nice! 10/10 will go back and eat more things.
I confess I had never been to Union market because I am skeptical of newly trendy (like, this millennium) destinations in DC and it always seemed far away.
I confess I had never been to Union market because I am skeptical of newly trendy (like, this millennium) destinations in DC and it always seemed far away.
Reposted by Carin Ruff
An elephant for Friday
#ElephantonFriday
BnF MS Français 15213; 14th c; ff.82v, 92v @gallicabnf.bsky.social
#ElephantonFriday
BnF MS Français 15213; 14th c; ff.82v, 92v @gallicabnf.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 5:39 PM
An elephant for Friday
#ElephantonFriday
BnF MS Français 15213; 14th c; ff.82v, 92v @gallicabnf.bsky.social
#ElephantonFriday
BnF MS Français 15213; 14th c; ff.82v, 92v @gallicabnf.bsky.social
Reposted by Carin Ruff
Time for this elephant to rest after a hard week
#ElephantonFriday
BL Harley 4751; Bestiary; 13th century; England, S; f. 8r
#ElephantonFriday
BL Harley 4751; Bestiary; 13th century; England, S; f. 8r
December 5, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Time for this elephant to rest after a hard week
#ElephantonFriday
BL Harley 4751; Bestiary; 13th century; England, S; f. 8r
#ElephantonFriday
BL Harley 4751; Bestiary; 13th century; England, S; f. 8r
👆🧵👇
It turned out that the image had been mislabeled by none other than the holding institution: the British Library. And it was being used, literally everywhere in the world to depict plague.
@richardnevell.bsky.social, a Wikipedian, intervened there: wikimedia.org.uk/2015/01/the-.... (Great read!)
@richardnevell.bsky.social, a Wikipedian, intervened there: wikimedia.org.uk/2015/01/the-.... (Great read!)
The truth gets its shoes on: the Black Death on Wikipedia - Wikimedia UK
A recent article by @monicaMedHist identifies the disease in Royal 6 E VI, f 301, as leprosy: http://t.co/PmatI7obgF pic.twitter.com/ysEb3X9VNA — Medieval Manuscripts (@BLMedieval) … Continue reading ...
wikimedia.org.uk
December 5, 2025 at 3:49 PM
👆🧵👇
Reposted by Carin Ruff
Very early 18th century weaving patterns @folger.edu (V.a.540)!!!
A couple of these look like twills and most are diamonds - several patterns in the book required up to 16 harnesses!
The book is little - about 4.5" by 2.5" and also features recipes for bovine and human child cures.
A couple of these look like twills and most are diamonds - several patterns in the book required up to 16 harnesses!
The book is little - about 4.5" by 2.5" and also features recipes for bovine and human child cures.
December 5, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Very early 18th century weaving patterns @folger.edu (V.a.540)!!!
A couple of these look like twills and most are diamonds - several patterns in the book required up to 16 harnesses!
The book is little - about 4.5" by 2.5" and also features recipes for bovine and human child cures.
A couple of these look like twills and most are diamonds - several patterns in the book required up to 16 harnesses!
The book is little - about 4.5" by 2.5" and also features recipes for bovine and human child cures.
Pay attention to Dolly, not Ignatius!
December 5, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Pay attention to Dolly, not Ignatius!
This is the feast of John of Damascus, died 749, patron saint of pharmacists, iconographers, and theology students. 🕯️ Here he is at the opening of a 15c MS of his De fide orthodoxa in the 12c Latin translation by Burgundo of Pisa, himself a very interesting guy. #medievalsky
December 4, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This is the feast of John of Damascus, died 749, patron saint of pharmacists, iconographers, and theology students. 🕯️ Here he is at the opening of a 15c MS of his De fide orthodoxa in the 12c Latin translation by Burgundo of Pisa, himself a very interesting guy. #medievalsky
Reposted by Carin Ruff
We’ll be running our introduction to manuscript studies again in June 2026. There’s an early bird discount if you book this month, but if students are interested please encourage them to book early as this course has limited places 👇 📚📖✏️💻
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
Introduction to Palaeography and Manuscript Studies
This course introduces students to key skills for the study of medieval manuscripts, from the making of parchment to reading text and imagery
ies.sas.ac.uk
December 4, 2025 at 1:38 PM
We’ll be running our introduction to manuscript studies again in June 2026. There’s an early bird discount if you book this month, but if students are interested please encourage them to book early as this course has limited places 👇 📚📖✏️💻
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
ies.sas.ac.uk/study-traini...
Good morning from Dolly!
December 4, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Good morning from Dolly!
Reposted by Carin Ruff
One reason that I was looking at this was to jog my memory. I am trying to find 13th -14th C manuscripts with this type of penwork... spiderweb type tendrils - can anyone think of any examples? It's a case of, I am sure that I have looked at examples in the past, but can't recall where...🤦♂️
December 4, 2025 at 8:39 AM
One reason that I was looking at this was to jog my memory. I am trying to find 13th -14th C manuscripts with this type of penwork... spiderweb type tendrils - can anyone think of any examples? It's a case of, I am sure that I have looked at examples in the past, but can't recall where...🤦♂️
Advice for living: Get yourself a friend who when she arrives after a transatlantic flight will listen to you natter on about textual criticism over hot cocoa, follow your argument, and ask intelligent questions that clarify your thinking despite jetlag. +
December 4, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Advice for living: Get yourself a friend who when she arrives after a transatlantic flight will listen to you natter on about textual criticism over hot cocoa, follow your argument, and ask intelligent questions that clarify your thinking despite jetlag. +
Kimber's Men and the Longest Johns together!
youtu.be/-h72GejbgJ8?...
youtu.be/-h72GejbgJ8?...
The Final Trawl | The Longest Johns & Kimbers Men
YouTube video by The Longest Johns
youtu.be
December 4, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Kimber's Men and the Longest Johns together!
youtu.be/-h72GejbgJ8?...
youtu.be/-h72GejbgJ8?...
I am not good at mentally rotating 3D widgets on exams and it turns out I am also not good at imagining how much text *isn't* on a fragment's former leaf, even though it's only a 2D calculation.
December 4, 2025 at 12:11 AM
I am not good at mentally rotating 3D widgets on exams and it turns out I am also not good at imagining how much text *isn't* on a fragment's former leaf, even though it's only a 2D calculation.
‼️ 👀
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
December 3, 2025 at 11:14 PM
‼️ 👀
Nothing like a friend visiting from Scotland to remind me that though I may feel like there's no daylight anymore, I really have nothing to complain about.
December 3, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Nothing like a friend visiting from Scotland to remind me that though I may feel like there's no daylight anymore, I really have nothing to complain about.
Blubrics!
Still at Nelson-Atkins and having entirely too much fun to stop and post (I’ll post more soon!) but couldn’t resist sharing these blue rubrics! Blubrics! 💙💙💙😍
@peripheralmss.bsky.social #midwestmss #medievalsky #medievalmss #manuscripts #fragments
@peripheralmss.bsky.social #midwestmss #medievalsky #medievalmss #manuscripts #fragments
December 3, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Blubrics!