800-Year-Old Sealskin Book Studied in Norway

BERGEN, NORWAY—Science Norway reports that a family has handed over a rare medieval book containing eight surviving pages to the National Library of Norway. Family tradition over the generations states that the book came from a monastery in western Norway. Medieval books are rare in the country because most of them were Catholic in nature, and Norway became Protestant under Danish rule in 1537. Many of the books that were not destroyed or remade were claimed by the Danish king and taken to Copenhagen. Conservator Chiara Palandri estimates that the book, which contains religious songs written in Latin, was made in the thirteenth century. Its pages were made of calfskin parchment, the cover appears to be hairy sealskin, and a strap to hold the book together is thought to have been made from reindeer hide. The rustic style of the Latin and the sealskin cover suggest it had been made in Norway, she added. “We have so few writings from this period, and our research often relies on fragments of manuscripts," said Åslaug Ommundsen of the University of Bergen. "When we heard that several handwritten pages had come in, still in their original binding, it was unbelievable.” Testing will be conducted to date the materials, identify the species of seal used for the cover, and track down the origins of the parchment. To read about the legendary birthplace of Norwegian Christianity, go to "Off the Grid: Selja Island, Norway."