If, like me, you enjoy making illuminated pages based on pre-1600 styles, you have probably thought about ways to make your calligraphy look less modern.
Most instructional manuals are ment for people who want to do modern work. Many of the exempler contained in such books have been somewhat altered. Others are based on early typefaces--those used in the infancy of the printing press--rather than on actual handwriting. While most of these exemplers are absolutely servicable, you may find yourself looking for ways to more closely approximate historic hands.
This article, then, will suggest ways in which you might alter your calligraphic style towards a more period appearance. There are several things to consider when doing this. Some of these are quite difficult for modern readers to decipher; thus, before implementing one or all of these tips, consider the purpose of the piece. If it is for someone other than yourself, you should either stick with modern practice or provide a typed "translation" to allow others to read your writing.
1. Consider eliminating modern letters and numbers. Substitute Roman numerals for modern (Arabic) numerals. In earlier hands (Uncial, Insular Miniscule, Carolingian, et cetera), the letters "J" and "W" did not exist. Substitute "I" for "J" and "UU" or, in hands that have them, "VV" for "W". "W" begins to appear in the Gothic hands (around the 12th century) but doesn't exist in all examples of Gothic writing. "J" doesn't appear (as it is used in the 20th century) until after 1600. In those hands that do provide "J" forms, the "J" is usually found in one of two situations: as an alternative capital form when the first word of a paragraph starts with "I" or "J", or as the last "letter" of a Roman numeral when finishing with two or more "i".
Example: modern: Rejoice with me in this the seventh year.
Using above tip: Reioice uuith me in this the *vij* year.
2. Use u and v more interchangeably. In the 20th century, "V" represents the consonant sound and "U" represents the vowel. Prior to 1600, there was a confusing plethora of exchange between the two symbols for the two sounds. In some times and places, "U" didn't exist. In others, the two symbols were chosen acording to the whim and aesthetics of the scribe. Still other scribes used the letters according to the sound--but so inconsistantly that the modern reader would still be guessing. And more variations of application can be found! I find the most useful pre-1600 "rule" to be that proposed by Albrecht Dürer: Use "V" at the beginning of the words and "U" in the middle of words. This is an easy rule to apply, and if applied consistantly, will not be difficult for modern readers to pick out. In writing Roman numerals, either "u" or "v" is acceptable. By placing two dots on each side of the number, you will make the numeral stand out from the text.
Example: Modern: Usurp your saddness; let no fear reserve your joy!
Using tip 2: Vsurp your saddness; let no fear reserue your joy!
Using tip 1 and 2: Vsurp your saddness; let no fear reserue your ioy!
3. Learn about long-s! Long-s is frequently misunderstood as an "f". In most hands, it does look like an "f" without the crossbar. In this article, I will use "ƒ" to represent long-s, as there isn't a long-s on my keyboard. When you see it, remember that the crossbar shouldn't be there. The "ƒ" form of "S" is most useful in Gothic, Humanist, Italic, Carolingian Miniscule, Insular Miniscule, and Insular Majuscule hands. In fact, some hands (Carolingian, for instance) do not use the "s" form we are accustomed to. "ƒ" generally is used as an alternate small letter (miniscule) when "s" appears at the beginning or in the middle of words. The usual miniscule "s" is used in the terminal position.
Example: Modern: She walks in splendor, my seamstress.
Using tip 3: She walks in ƒplendor, my ƒeamƒtreƒs
3a. Use Ligatures. To lessen the number of strokes used when writing, scribes began to combine letters. Many of the gothic hands lend themselves especially well to this. Frequently, letters such as "d" and "o" would be connected, with the left side of the "o" joined to the right side of the "d", or the top portion of the "ƒ" connected to "s", "t", "f".
Example: Modern: Sing songs of sixpense, princess.
Using tip 3 and 3a: Sing ƒongs of ƒixpenƒe, princeß.
Here is an image file of the word "service". The
calligrapher has used long-s, used a "u" rather than a "v",
and has used a ligature--connecting the letter "r" to the
preceeding "e" (in a form called, appropriately enough,
"half-r"): 
4. Get to know "þ" (the letter thorn). "þ" is an Anglo-Saxon letter that remained in use (in various shapes) until at least the 18th century. It is still seen today, although many do not recognize it, in those "cutesey-wootsey" stores that like to affect ambiance by calling themselves "Ye Olde Junkke Shoppe" or some such. "þ" represents the "th" sound in words such as "the". It doesn't generally appear as the first letter of a sentance. When Anglo-Saxon letters were first incorporated into the Roman alphabet, there were several others included ("ð", the letter "eth", another "th" sound, and "p"--yes, it looks like a lower case "P"-- the letter "wen", representing the "w" sound), but these were used primarily in the Insular hands, and did not survive the Normans. "þ", however, as mentioned, continued and survived, primarily in abbreviations and in the words "the" "thee" "thou".
Example: Modern: The time, the place, I take thee there.
Using tip 4: The time, þe place, I take þee there.
5. Make use of abbreviations. In later scripts, it was
common to abbreviate "the" and "that" as "þ" with the
remaining letter written above the "þ" (thus, "þ" with an
"e" above it was "the" {
}; "þ" with a "t"
above was "that" {
}).
"What" could be abbreviated as a lower-case "w" with a
small "t" written above and slightly to the right (similar
to this: w°. In this example, you see an abbreviation for
"with" {
}). The modern
ampersand ("&") is a direct
descendant of the abbreviation for "and". Ommisions of
letters from words were indicated by a bar drawn above the
space, or by the last letter written above and to the right
of the last fully formed letter. Abbreviation bars have
been misinterpreted by some authors as "alternative letter
forms"; thus, if you have a reference that shows, say, a
"p" with a bar drawn through the descender, beware! This is
an abbreviation for "pre" or "pro" that has been
misinterpreted. In truth, there are whole fields of
paleographic study dedicated to the abbreviations used in
the Middle Ages, but for the purposes of this article,
these two tips will serve. If you are seriously interested
in the subject, the book Elements of Abbreviation in
Medieval Latin Paleograpy is a nice starting point.
Meanwhile, here are some examples of this tip in use.
Modern example: On the road of life, none so fair as Phaedra and Phreda.
With tip 5: On þe rº of life, ñne so fair as Phaedra & Phreda.
6. Alter the placement of your punctuation. While very early hands had no punctuation, indeed, some hands did not even have spaces between the words, later hands were punctuated essentially in the same way as are modern hands. Even I would suggest that no space between words and no punctuation might be a little too far to go, I would suggest that you alter the placement of your pucntuation to mid-minimum (at a height about midway up an "m" rather than at the bottom of the "m" as is modernly done). Further, you may want to substitute an abbreviation bar for the apostrophe.
Here is a passage using as many of the above tips as is possible to reflect given the limitations of a keyboard and computer type.
Modern:
Such fire! The road to the city was straight, beckoning him forward. Still, he hesitated. What would become of the princess if he should leave? The joy of his victory and pleasure of his freedom would be lost if he were to leave. So he thought in his twenty-eight year.
Period:
Such fire! The rº to þe city uuas ƒtraight, beckoning him foruuard. Still, he heƒitated. VVhat uuould become of þe princeß if he ƒhould leaue? The ioy of his victory & pleaƒure of his freedom uuoule be lº if he uuere to leaue. So he thought in his *xxviij* year.
Use these suggestions as you will; it can only bring your
calligraphy to a more ancient apperance! Good Luck!
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Andersen, Charles. Lettering. Survey of the history of lettering; only the first chapter or two is relevant to those who do pre-1600 work.