! Deciphering Secrets:
Unlocking the Manuscripts of Medieval Spain (A Massive Open Online Course Associated with
the Revealing Cooperation and Conflict Project)
! ! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual for the 19th-century copy (“Traslado”) of the Capitulary Acts,
Cathedral of Plasencia, Spain
Image Source: Actas Capitulares. 1399-1453. Tomo I. Traslado. Folio 1.
Archive of the Cathedral of Plasencia (Spain).
! ! ! !
Authors: Anthony M. Puglisi, Ph.D., and Roger L. Martínez-Dávila, Ph.D. Ⓒ Revealing Cooperation and Conflict Project, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, 2014. Copyright Notice: Manuscript images used for academic research and non-profit educational purposes only, per Title 7 of the United States Code. Manuscript images shall not be reproduced without the permission of the Diocese of Plasencia (Spain). The original document is the property of the Diocese of Plasencia. As the Revealing Cooperation and Conflict Project is based in the United States of America, our use of any books, publications, and manuscripts issued before the year 1923 are governed per “public domain” norms as codified in Title 17 of the United States Code. Additionally, the RCCP abides by its self-imposed Declaration of Cultural Collaboration, Tolerance, and Scholarly Responsibility.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
1! of 50 !
!
Table of Contents
!
! ! Part I. Background on the Actas Capitulares (Capitulary Acts) ! Part II. Introduction to Working with the Capitulary Acts ! Part III. The Alphabet of the Capitulary Acts ! Part IV. The Abbreviations of the Capitulary Acts ! Part V. Essential Transcription Considerations and Strategies ! Part VI. Practice Exercises !
Page 3 Page 3 Page 4 Page 12 Page 15
Exercise I - Alphabet Practice Exercise II - Abbreviations Practice Exercise III - Transcription Practice Exercise IV - Transcription Practice Exercise V - Transcription Practice Exercise VI - Transcription Practice Exercise VII - Transcription Practice
Page 22 Page 25 Page 28 Page 31 Page 33 Page 35
Exercise I - Alphabet Practice (Answer Key) Exercise II - Abbreviations Practice (Answer Key) Exercise III - Transcription Practice (Answer Key) Exercise IV - Transcription Practice (Answer Key) Exercise V - Transcription Practice (Answer Key) Exercise VI - Transcription Practice (Answer Key) Exercise VII - Transcription Practice (Answer Key)
Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43
! Part VII. Practice Exercises (Answer Keys) !
!
Appendix: “Draft” Spanish-English Dictionary of Special Terms in the Capitulary Acts
! ! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
Page 44
2! of 50 !
! Part I. Background on the Actas Capitulares (Capitulary Acts)
!
The Actas Capitulares are the day-to-day business transactional records of the Cabildo de la Catedral de Plasencia, or the local cathedral chapter, which governed the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plasencia. The city of Plasencia is located in the northern section of the Spanish autonomous community of the Extremadura.
!
The Actas Capitulares (hereafter referred to as Actas) commence in the early 1390s and detail church statutes, properties, and organizational affairs. In this course, we are utilizing the 19th century transcription (or copy) of the first volume of the Actas (Actas Capitulares. 1399-1453. Tomo I. Traslado.) This volume is held by the Archive of the Cathedral of Plasencia. The original, late 14th century version of the Actas. 1399-1453. Tomo I remains intact and is also held by the Archive of the Cathedral of Plasencia.
! The Actas record a variety of types of information, including: ! • • • • •
!
Real estate and personal property owned by the cathedral and local residents, Real estate property leases, sales, and exchanges for the cathedral and local residents, Official meeting notes for the cathedral chapter (the governing board of the church), Official agreements, investigations, and pronouncements of the cathedral chapter, and Lists of residents (often indicating their social, political, and religious statuses).
For example, consider a representative early 15th century entry from the Actas noted on Folios 20-23v. This entry describes “the pasture (dehesa) called La Habaza,” close to the Pueblo of San Esteban that was reportedly donated to the cathedral by Doña Gracia, wife of García González. Pastures like La Habaza were large sized parcels that often presented a range of useful natural resources and multiple structures. From a wealth perspective, the donated land included, “a landmark of a gold and silver laden-type of quartz (quijos); multiple holm-oak forests (carrascelejos); seasonal running streams (aguas bertientes); and a small grouping of houses (casar). La Habaza was a prized church possession because it provided housing, precious mineral resources, sturdy timber, oak acorns for grazing pigs, and water that could be used for agricultural and other pastoral purposes.
! Part II. Introduction to Working with the Capitulary Acts !
The 19th-century hand-copied manuscript of the Actas of the Cathedral of Plasencia is a wonderful opportunity to begin learning how to read old, handwritten manuscripts. Nineteenth century handwritten Spanish letters are recognizable because their forms look very similar to modern, handwritten ones. In many cases a high proficiency in Spanish is not required to be able to transcribe these documents. All that is needed is an understanding of what the letters look like.
!
Fortunately for us, the 19th-century copy of this manuscript was written by a person with a very consistent “hand”. This will help you learn to read antique Spanish handwriting with more ease. Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
3! of 50 !
Handwriting varies from individual to individual. Every person writes according to a unique pattern within the rules of penmanship of his or her culture. Consequently, we can generate an alphabet based on a scribe’s documents. The alphabet below will familiarize you with the letters as they appear in the Actas that we are studying.
! Part III. The Alphabet of the Capitulary Acts !
Study the alphabet below to familiarize yourself with the letters of the manuscript we will be transcribing. You will also perform exercises to test your abilities and build your confidence (Part VI of this manual). When deemed appropriate, the letters are pictured in the beginning or middle of entire words or syllables to help you recognize them. The letters “K”, “k”, “W”, “w”, “I”, “Q”, “U”, and “Z” are not in the chart, either because they do not apply to this manuscript or because they are easily recognizable. In the rare cases that a letter’s form varies slightly throughout the manuscript alternative examples are offered to help you.
!
Uppercase Alphabetical Letters
A (pictured: “Alm”)
! B (pictured: “B” and “Ben”, respectively) !
! C (pictured: “Ca”) !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
4! of 50 !
Uppercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued)
D (pictured: “Diego”)
! E (pictured: “Erg”)
! F (pictured: “Ferran”) ! G (pictured: “Gonzalo”) ! H (pictured: “Han”)
! J (pictured: “Juan”)
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
5! of 50 !
Uppercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued)
L (pictured: “Lopez”)
! M (pictured: “Mar”)
! N (pictured: “Not”) ! O (pictured: “Obispo”)
! P (pictured: “Pueblo”) ! R (pictured: “Roman” and “Ribera”, respectively) ! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
6! of 50 !
Uppercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued)
S (pictured: “San”)
! V (pictured: “Va)
! X
! Y (pictured: “Yglesia”) ! Lowercase Alphabetical Letters
a ! b (pictured: “iba”)
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
7! of 50 !
Lowercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued)
c (pictured: “dicho”)
! d ! e ! f (pictured: “fijos” and “enfrente”, respectively) !
! g (pictured: “dugo”)
! h (pictured: “dicho”)
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
8! of 50 !
Lowercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued)
i (pictured: “dicho”)
! j (pictured: “mojones”) ! l (pictured: “orilla”)
! m ! n ! ñ
! o (pictured: “dicho”)
! p !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
9! of 50 !
Lowercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued) q ! r (pictured: “pizarra”) ! s (pictured: “as” and “Pas” respectively) !
!
t (pictured: “está”, “tr”, and “dentro”, respectively) !
!
! u (pictured: “ue”) !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 10 !
Lowercase Alphabetical Letters
!
(continued)
v (pictured: “v” and “vecinos”, respectively) ! ! x ! y (pictured: “ay”)
! z !
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 11 !
Part IV. The Abbreviations of the Capitulary Acts
!
Abbreviations, special forms of words, accents, and numbers
!
Imagine having to write everything in your life by hand: emails, copies of books, etc. It is extremely labor-intensive and needs to be done efficiently. Before the time of computers and even typewriters, scribes had to meet deadlines. They wrote more efficiently by using abbreviations for commonly used words. Place names, currency, and even the names of people were abbreviated. This tutorial is intended to help you recognize and transcribe abbreviated words accurately from the 19-century copy of the Actas of the Cathedral of Plasencia.
!
!
Abbreviations, Accent Marks, and Special Forms of Words
!
“Don” Note: a title of honor to pay respect to people when naming them; the feminine version is “Doña”.
!
“Arrendamiento” Note: any word that ends with “to” in superscript ends with “-iento”, a common suffix. “maravedis” Note: this is not a currency, but rather a unit for counting money to account for its real value for accounting purposes, independently of the currency actually used in a transaction. !
“de” Note: often this word looks as it is pictured to the left because the scribe could write this proposition in fewer strokes than to write “d” and then “e”. !
“por”
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 12 !
Abbreviations, Accent Marks, and Special Forms of Words
!
(continued) “que” ! “dichas” and “dicho”, respectively Note: “dicho”, “dicha”, “dichos”, and “dichas” are abbreviated “dho”, “dha”, dhos”, and “dhas”, respectively. !
! “bá” and “dá”, respectively; if you are familiar with Spanish you will notice that in the 19th century many one-syllable words in Spanish had accent marks over final vowels, something that is not done in modern Spanish except a few words that have multiple meanings (like “se” and “sé). !
! “Su Señoría” ! “Ciudad”
!
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 13 !
Transcribing abbreviations
!
For the purposes of practicing your transcription skills in this course, if you see an abbreviation, just put the missing letters between brackets.
!
For example, transcribe ! , from the table above, in this way: d[ic]ho. In another portion of this manual you will have the opportunity to practice your knowledge of abbreviations.
! ! ! Arabic numerals !
In 19th-century handwriting, arabic numerals look very similar to modern ones and should pose no problem to the novice transcriber.
!
For example: !
! ! !
is “157”.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 14 !
Part V. Essential Transcription Considerations and Strategies
!
As a reader of modern scripts, you have the necessary skills to recognize the letters, symbols, numbers, and abbreviations in the 19th-century transcription of the Actas of the Cathedral of Plasencia. However, to recognize these scripts with accuracy, you will need to practice reviewing sample manuscripts. Before transcribing your first manuscript selections, please be aware of the topics below.
! What are Folios? !
Manuscripts were foliated, which simply means that pages were numbered according to their front side and opposite side. If you see a “folio” with a number in the upper-right corner, we call this folio the recto. The next image (we are using photographs of the manuscript) is the other side of that folio. It does not have a number in the upper-right corner. We call that side the verso.
!
So, let’s say we see a folio with the number “225” in the upper-right corner. We would call this folio “225r” for “225 recto”, the front side of the folio. The text in the image that comes after it is the other side of the folio. We call this folio in the manuscript “225v” for “225 verso”, the reverse side of the folio.
! In the student exercises presented in this manual you will see some folio page numbers. However, all folio numbers have been obscured in the manuscript images that will be provided to you for your student transcription projects. Folio numbers were redacted to protect the intellectual property of the Diocese of Plasencia. Although you will not need to record folio numbers in your transcriptions, we wanted you to be aware of their existence and use.
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 15 !
Where is the punctuation?
!
In our manuscript there is very little punctuation. As this is a 19th-century transcription of the original 15th-century manuscript, this is not a surprising finding. In many medieval writings there is often an absence of most punctuation. In fact, sentences just seem to go on forever. There are hardly any commas, periods, or other kinds of symbols. Do not worry about punctuation. Transcribe the text as you see it, using no punctuation.
! What about hyphens? !
Scribes used hyphens to continue words on the next line. Hyphenation did not follow a special syllabic rule. For the scribe it was important to fill all of the space within the margins of a folio. Words are divided with hyphens willy-nilly. When you see a hyphen, be sure to copy it as it appears in the manuscript.
! Were abbreviations common? !
Yes, as previously discussed, common words were often abbreviated to conserve vellum and paper. Abbreviations should not be spelled out in your transcription. Instead, please transcribe exactly what you see on the page.
! What about accents? !
Accents do not always appear in writing in spite of their common usage in modern Spanish. You are not required to include accents in your transcriptions. For example, “á” can simply be reported as “ a ”.
! How should line breaks be addressed? !
In your transcription of document, you should start the beginning of a new line with a hard line break (“return” or enter”). Please record the text as you see it.
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 16 !
Strategies for Transcription
!
Everyone has a different approach to paleography and you will likely develop your own strategies. However, in order to develop essential skills you should attempt to employ some systematic approaches to all transcriptions. That is, at times you will encounter a “hand” that is very readable to your eye and you might unconsciously transcribe the document with little effort or thinking. To improve your paleography skills, you should attempt to approach each document, regardless of its readability, with specific strategies in mind. This ensures you will train your mind and eyes to work with all types of “hands” — even those that are hard to decipher.
!
Strategy #1 - Visually scan the entire document before attempting to transcribe it. It is important for you to become familiar with how the scribe writes. Repeatedly scanning a document will help you eyes to become accustomed to the “hand”.
!
Strategy #2 - Identify those letters, abbreviations, and numbers that you can immediately recognize. This is very straight-forward, but it is the beginning of finding your way into the document. Finding easy-to-recognize letters will help appreciate how much you can already see and it will spur you along to uncover other letters and words.
!
Strategy #3 - Locate common words to (a) understand how the scribe connects their letters together and (b) recognize other alphabetical letters and numbers. This strategy helps you identify letters that are hard to recognize. If you see a common word, and you are flexible in terms of how it might be spelled, then you see many curious spellings of words you know. More importantly, you can find new letters using this strategy.
!
Strategy #4 - Recognize the abbreviations used in the document and if they vary within the document. Finding and marking your abbreviations makes your task easier because it reminds you some words on the page are not complete words at all. Rather, they are almost nonsensical connections of letters. Find the abbreviations so that your eyes and mind do not attempt to create words that do not exist on the page.
!
Strategy #5 - Search for English-Spanish cognates (those words that share similar meanings and spellings in English and Spanish) to identify more letters and connections. Cognates are helpful because you can work “backwards” into reading letters on the page. For example, if you know the word must be “jurisdiction” in English and therefore is spelled “jurisdicion” in Spanish, then you can begin to identify hard to read letters.
!
Strategy #6 - Type or write your transcription and leave plenty of room to add edits. Creating a transcript will help you fill in the blanks as you work through those last, hard to read letters and words.
!
Employing these basic strategies will help you use the document to decipher itself. That is, the document becomes its own key to unlocking the manuscript. Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 17 !
! An Example (How to transcribe a selection from a manuscript using these strategies) ! Below is a clipping of a folio from the manuscript:
Notice that in the clipping above, we have a black block obscuring the folio number in the upperright corner as well as a hyphenated, divided word (on the 4th line).
! Using Strategy #1 - Scan the Document !
Visually scan the document. Scan the clipping at least once. This will help your eyes become accustomed to how the scribe spaces letters and words. In essence, you are becoming familiar with their writing style.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 18 !
Using Strategy #2 - Identify Letters that are Very Recognizable
!
Below, I have circled several letters (“S”, “d”, “o”, “r”) that are readily identifiable. Find these easy letters and use them to start making sense of the writing.
Using Strategy #3 - Locate Common Words, Understand Letter Connections, and Find New Letters
!
Below, I have located common words to (a) understand how the scribe connects their letters together and (b) recognize other alphabetical letters and numbers.
!
For example, the common word, “Santa” is visible. Here we can see how the letter “a”, “n”, and “t” are connected to one another. Now, I know how this scribe connects “a” to “n”, how they connect “n” to “t”, and “t” to “a”. Similarly, the world “Jurisdicion” is visible. Given I know how the word is spelled in Spanish, then I can see how the scribe writes the hard-to-read letter “r”.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 19 !
Strategy #4 - Recognize Abbreviations
!
Using the paleography manual, below I can see that the scribe has used the abbreviation for “Su Señoria”. Find abbreviations right away so that you can free your eyes from struggle of understanding their unusual appearance.
! !
Strategy #5 - Search for English-Spanish Cognates to Locate More Letters/Connections
!
Fortunately, we do not see too many “false friends” in the Actas, or those Spanish and English words that appear to have similar meanings, but in actuality are very different. For example, consider the words “embarazada” and “embarrased”. “Embarizada” means “pregnant with a child” in Spanish, whereas “embarrassed” in English means “to feel shamed and uncomfortable”. In this selection below, we see the cognates for “obligated” (obligaron), “[legal] sentence” (sentencia), and “manner” (manera). From these words we can now see how the scribe writes the other alphabetical letters such as “g”, “l”, and “m”. Similarly, we can appreciate how the scribe connects their letters together.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 20 !
! Strategy #6 - Type or Write Your Transcription. !
This is self-explanatory. Writing a transcript will help you figure out hard to read letters and words. Below, you can review how this manuscript should be transcribed.
!
!
vidos y por haver y se obligaron á toda sentencia de Santa Yglesia sometiendo ala Jurisdicion Eclesiastica y S. É el dicho Chantre por poder del dicho cabillo, otorgogela como dicho es y obligo los bienes dela Mesa Capitular que non seria tirada en la manera que dicha es por mas ni por menos
Now it’s time to begin your practice exercise so that you will be prepared to transcribe the 19thcentury copy of the Actas. Good luck and enjoy!
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
!
! of 50 21 !
Part VI. Practice Exercises Exercise I - Alphabet Practice
!
The following exercises are designed to help you test your ability to recognize the letters you studied in the alphabet derived from the 19th-century copy of the Capitulary Acts of the Cathedral of Plasencia. If you discover that you get a lot of them wrong, make sure you restudy the alphabet and understand why you answered incorrectly.
!
I. Matching. Match the transcribed words in the left-hand column with their corresponding handwritten words in the right-hand column.
!
___ 1. pan A. ! ___ 2. mil B. ! ___ 3. libros C. ! ___ 4. veinte D. ! ___ 5. dellos
E. ! ___ 6. cinco F. ! ___ 7. dicho G. ! ___ 8. que
H. !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 22 !
! II. Transcription of words. Transcribe the words from the manuscript: ! __________________________ 1. ! __________________________ 2. ! __________________________ 3. ! __________________________ 4. ! __________________________ 5. ! __________________________ 6. ! __________________________ 7. ! __________________________ 8. !
! ! ! ! ! ! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 23 !
!
III. Partial transcription of text. Below you will see a snippet of text from the manuscript and an incomplete transcription below it. Fill in the blanks to complete the transcription.
!
1. !
!
...de la ________________ de _______ Esteban desta ___________ ciudad, la mi ropa prieta que está....
!
2. !
!
... viene ______ Señor de mil y ___________________ y ______________ y __________ años e mando ___________...
!
3. !
!
... o qualquier ________ vieren que _____ obra ______ esto ________ que lo __________ e cum-...
!
4. !
! ... la Yglesia _______________ desta __________ _________________. ! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 24 !
Exercise II - Abbreviations Practice
!
I. Matching. Match the correct transcriptions with their handwritten text.
!
A. de ___ 1. ! B. d[ic]ha ___ 2. ! C. que ___ 3. ! D. d[ic]ho ___ 4. ! E. d[ic]has ___ 5. ! F. arrendam[ien]to ___ 6. ! G. m[a]r[avedí]s ___ 7. !
! II. Transcribing arabic numerals. Transcribe the following numbers: ! 1. !
_________________________
2. !
__________________________
3. !
__________________________
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 25 !
4. !
_____________________________
! III. Partial transcriptions. Fill in the blanks with the correct words: ! !
1. !
!
... cinquenta _________ en cada año, según ___________ es de suso, para lo qual obligaron los ...
!
2. !
!
... tador para facer los Libros delas dichas rentas que sea Contador a _______ Alfonso Garcia, Arcediano de troxillo que esta- ...
!
3. !
!
... dela _______ Yglesia, e ______ Gonzalo Gutier-rez tesorero dela dicha Yglesia e San-cho Ortiz, e Juan Nuñez, e Rui Garcia Canonigos en la ______ Yglesia, e ...
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 26 !
!
4. !
! ... fiesto que por causa de ser asi enferma la _______ _________ como ______ es que los ... !
5. !
!
... año ______ treinta e ocho para que se faga la _____ residencia segun é por la forma suso____ en corroboracion é …
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 27 !
Exercise III - Transcription Practice
! Transcribe the following passages: ! 1. !
!
! 2. !
!
! 3. !
! Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 28 !
Exercise IV - Transcription Practice
! Transcribe the following passages: ! 1. !
!
! 2. !
!
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 29 !
! ! 3. !
!
! 4. !
!
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 30 !
! Transcribe the following extracts: ! 1. !
Exercise V - Transcription Practice
!
! 2. !
!
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 31 !
3.
!
!
! 4. !
!
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 32 !
Exercise VI - Transcription Practice Transcribe the following excerpts: 1.
!
!
!
!
! 2. !
!
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 33 !
3.
!
!
! 4. !
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 34 !
Exercise VII - Transcription Practice
!
Transcribe the following passages: 1.
! !
!
!
! 2. !
!
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 35 !
3.
!
!
! 4. !
!
!
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 36 !
! ! I. !
Part VII. Practice Exercises (Answer Keys) Exercise I - Alphabet Practice (Answer Key)
1. F 2. G 3. H 4. A 5. C 6. D 7. E 8. B
! II. !
1. prestamos 2. que 3. fecho 4. delos 5. años 6. qualquier 7. hoviere 8. quatro
! III. !
1. Yglesia, San, dicha 2. del, quatrocientos, veinte, cinco, que 3. dellos, es, pia, mando, fagan 4. Catedral, dicha, Ciudad
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
!
! of 50 37 !
! I. Matching !
Exercise II - Abbreviations Practice (Answer Key)
1. G 2. D 3. F 4. B 5. E 6. A 7. C
! II. Transcribing arabic numerals ! 1. 298 2. 110 3. 14 4. 60
! III. Partial transcriptions !
1. m[a]r[avedí]s, d[ic]ho 2. D[o]n 3. d[ic]ha, D[o]n, d[ic]ha 4. d[ic]ha, Ciud[a]d, d[ic]ho 5. de, d[ic]ha, d[ic]ha
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! !
! of 50 38 !
Exercise III - Transcription Practice (Answer Key)
!
Note: This exercises is basic, providing more practice with recognizing the letters of the alphabet and arabic numerals. There are no abbreviations or other kinds of textual elements.
!
1. Itan mas otro pedazo que es la viña mejor
dellas, ha por linderos de la una parte
el sendero por do ban a la Viña de to-
mé Gil de Juacos, é de la otra parte, vi-
ña del dicho tomé Gil, é de parte de
!
2. En el dicho pueblo de Albalá, han mas
dos pares de casas las unas como ban
por la dicha calle mayor del dicho Pue-
blo á man derecha y tiene un par de
puertas a la dicha calle, é tiene ótro
!
3. e de la otra parte casas de fijos de Ve-
nito Perez, é la otra casa es, en la calle
primera á man derecha, como entra
por la puerta del castillo que esta
arrimada á la torre de piedra de 6
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
!
! of 50 39 !
Exercise IV - Transcription Practice (Answer Key)
!
Note: This activity practices the recognition and transcription of “mrs”, the abbreviation for “maravedís”. There is also a “dho” and a “qe”.
!
1. Otrosi que pague en pena por cada begada
quatro m[a]r[avedi]s y el Capellan dos m[a]r[avedi]s de la
moneda que corriere; esto se entiende
que son dos m[a]r[avedi]s sino fuere ala fuera
y otros dos m[a]r[avedi]s sino fuere a la cara
!
2. Dean y Cabillo otra cara que ha’ y en-
cima dela d[ic]ha calle de truxillo con
un Pozo y otra cara y un Vergel que
tiene de dentro que ha por linderos
cara delos dichos dean y Cabillo en
!
3. un año en renta por ellas doscientos
cinquenta m[a]r[avedi]s é arrendalas desde
San Juan primero que viene deste
año de quatrocientos y catorce. E
por que es verdad escrivio aqui su
!
4. Truxillo por su vida asu repartimiento
cada año cien m[a]r[avedi]s desde el dia de Na-
vidad que comenzó este dicho año de
quatrocientos y catorce años, e porq[u]e
es verdad escrivio aqui su nombre.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
!
! of 50 40 !
Exercise V - Transcription Practice (Answer Key) Note: This exercise practices “q” and “dho”.
!
!
1. Gonzalo Berdugo de ... é bá por la d[ic]ha
linde ayuso á man derecha contra Bentosi-
lla, é da por su linde é por sus mojones
en el cadozo de Doña Pasquala, que está
en el prado de los forcajos, lindero fasta aquí
!
2. pizarra y de guisos, é un poco adelante dá
en una linde traviesa, é en un mojón q[ue]
está cerca della, é cerca de unas Encinas
é fasta aqui es lindero la dicha tierra
del dicho Gonzalo Berdugo, que comenzó
!
3. la dicha cumbre por sus mojones é por
su linde, é dá en unos guisos grandes q[ue]
estan frios é semejan alizace de pared lin-
dero fasta aqui tierra de herederos del
dicho Esteban Sanchez, ee donde bá por la
!
4. é la d[ic]ha Garganta ayuso la dicha Laguna
como daba en su derecho en la dicha Gar-
ganta del rincon é la dicha Garganta á
yuso fasta ó daba en la Garganta de deuiella
cabras é en esta Garganta de deue-
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
!
! of 50 41 !
Exercise VI - Transcription Practice (Answer Key)
!
Note: This exercise practices “de”, “dhos”, and “dha”.
!
1. mino de Plasencia entre la corcilla y
las quebradas un poco ayuso do cae
el arroyo dela Cobacha en el rio de
Tajo la meitad de dos Haceñas, la
una desta parte del rio contra Pla-
!
2. Coria; en el qual pedazo de Diego Blas-
co estan dos Nogales, uno cerca deotro
é quando se fizo la partieron destas
huertas, fué ordenado por los dichos Par-
tidores que hoviesen por mitad estos d[ic]hos
!
3. dela Majada delas colmenas de Gonzalo
Yañez: E otrosi han y una viña cercada
de pared de pizarras y de piedra, é ba
por medio della un arroyo; linderos de
la una parte parrales delos dichos Die-
go Perez y Alfonso Martin, y de herede-
ros de las dichas Maria Martin y de
!
4. Otra parte el camino que bá de Plasencia
adelante: é de la otra parte heredad
de Juan Perez, del Erguihuela, e dela
ótra parte la dicha Garganta e la d[ic]ha
Viña estaba bien labrada salvo que
!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
!
! of 50 42 !
Exercise VII - Transcription Practice (Answer Key)
!
Note: This exercise practices “q”, “dho”, and “mrs” together.
!
1. que dicen de los Maruteros, é donde
da en el arroyo delos Maruteros, y
ba un poco por el d[ic]ho arroyo ayuso, é
dá en un mojon que está orilla del
dicho arroyo, á man derecha lindero
!
2. jon que está cerca de unos Carrasqui-
llos entrante de un tomellar e dende
dá en ótro mojon que está en el d[ic]ho
tomellar el qual tomellar está a man
derecha de un berrocal de unos guijos
!
3. de Barbadon, é las dichas sierras que
estan sobre el dicho Venero y la dicha
hos delos Sierros: É por quanto esta
Dehesa no llega al ejido delas casas
de Santa Maria del Campo, é por q[u]e
!
4. en venta en cada un año por la
dicha meitad de casas noventa
m[a]r[avedi]s de la moneda que corrier en ca-
da un año alos dichos Dean y Cabillo
ó aquien por el lo hoviere de haver
y de recabdan la meitad destos d[ic]hos
noventa m[a]r[avedi]s por dia de San Juan
! !
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 43 !
Appendix: “Draft” Spanish-English Dictionary of Special Terms in the Capitulary Acts
!
This custom Spanish-English dictionary is provided to those persons that have some familiarity with the Spanish language. As you might expect, the 15th century Capitulary Acts often use specialized and uncommon words. This dictionary of special terms may help you to identify and better understand those words that are used in the manuscript. The definitions (which are very imperfect) are based on several consultations of the Spanish Real Academia Española’s Diccionario de la Lengua Española. In most cases, terms are derived from 1726 edition of the dictionary. You can consult an online version of the dictionary at: http://www.rae.es/recursos/ diccionarios/drae
! !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Acena/Hacena
Grain mill situated on a river
Adobada
Pact; to come to an arrangement; Entre herradores, dar con el martillo la forma conveniente a la herradura y a los clavos, para su mejor aplicación al casco del animal
Adobar
Disponer, preparar, arreglar, aderezar
Aguijon
Punta o extremo puntiagudo del palo con que se aguija.
Aldea
Village. Pueblo de corto vecindario y, por lo común, sin jurisdicción propia.
Alfamar, alfamare:
manta roja o encarnada, tapiz, alfombra, de ella proviene nuestro alhamar; es palabra árabe.
Almadraque
Almadraque: almohada, colchón, cojín, destinado para los asientos de las sillas, sillones o sofaes; nos quedó del árabe.
Arrabal
Barrio fuera del recinto de la población a que pertenece. (=suburbs)
Arrendar
Lease
Ayusa
Above (“abajo”)
Aza/haza
Plot of arable land
Azar/axuar
Chance, possibility
Azeras/ Hazeras
Orilla de la calle o de otra vía pública, generalmente enlosada, sita junto al paramento de las casas, y particularmente destinada para el tránsito de la gente que va a pie.
!
Fila de casas que hay a cada lado de la calle o plaza (row of houses)
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 44 !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Benero/venero
=spring. Manantial de agua.
Berrocal
Siteio lleno de berruecos. Berrucos = tolmos graniticos en un penasco = granite rocks in a crag
Bertinentes/ vertientes
A sloped area where water runs or can run; seasonal water flow
bienes
Goods/property
Blanqueta
Tejido basto de lana, que se usaba antiguamente. (tejido = fabric, material)
Cabada/ cavada
Pit; concave; “hoyo (a pit) que se forma en la tierra”; cavandole
Cadozo
Eddy of water, swirl in river (“olla”); or mill
calcado, da
1. Idéntico o muy parecido. 2. Acción y efecto de calcar.
Calleja
Long street
Calzada
Road
Campo
Countryside; land
Cañada
Ravine
Cañares/ Cañas/ canas de pescar
Cerco de cañas en los ríos para que entre la pesca; La que sirve para pescar y lleva en el extremo más delgado una cuerda de la que pende el sedal con el anzuelo
Canto
Edge; corner
Carillo
Small basquet
Carneros
sheep
Carrascal
Sitio o monte poblado de carrascas (oaks trees)
Carrasquilla
Holm-oak forest
Casares
A small group of houses not quite enough to make up a pueblo. “Conjunto de casas que no llegan a formar pueblo”
Cauce
Aquaduct Causeway. Conducto descubierto o acequia por donde corren las aguas para riegos u otros usos.
cavandole
Pit; concave; “hoyo (a pit) que se forma en la tierra”; cavandole
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 45 !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Ciero/cerro/ siero/sierro
Hill on a mountain range (“teso de sierra”)
Cillero
Storehouse; “bodega”
Cima
Summit
Collado
Hill
Colmena
Natural or constructed enclosure for honey bees; Recipiente construido para habitáculo de las abejas (bees)
Corriere
To be payable, to run
cortifo
Country farm
Cortinales
Pedazo de tierra cercado, inmediato a un pueblo o a casas de campo, que ordinariamente se siembra todos los años. =Enclosed land
Crazada (plata cruzada)
Plata cendrada (prepared with ash) y dispuesta para ligarla (ready to join). Cendrado= Asiento de ceniza que se pone en la plaza del horno de afinar la plata
Cubas
Wine storage casks; barrels
Cuerda
Cord, strand, rope
Cumbre
Summit; peak
Cuvierta/ cubierta
Covered
dehesa
Pasture; meadow
Deslinder
Demark, mark boundaries
Ejido
Common land/countryside of a community. Campo común de un pueblo, lindante con él, que no se labra, y donde suelen reunirse los ganados o establecerse las eras.
Embargar
Seize
Enmendar
To correct
Erala
Res vacuna hembra de más de un año y que no pasa de dos. (Year old cow)
Gamonal
Asphodel field; asphodel, a type of flower used to feed cattle and sheep (fodder) and often found in cemeteries (“called the food of the dead”)
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 46 !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Guadaperos/ peral
Pear trees
Haber
Have
Hacena Acena
Grain will situated on a river
Haza/aza
Plot of arable land
Hierro
Iron, brand
Huerta
Irrigated and cultivated plain
Huerto
orchard
Ladera
Slope
Legua
League. Medida itineraria, variable según los países o regiones, definida por el camino que regularmente se anda en una hora, y que en el antiguo sistema español equivale a 5572,7 m.
Linde
Border, edge
Lindero
Bordering, adjoining, adjacent to
Llano
Plane; flat area
Mante/manta
=Cubierta que sirve de abrigo a las caballerías. =Prenda de lana o algodón, tupida y ordinariamente peluda, de forma rectangular, que sirve para abrigarse en la cama.
Mitado
Half
Moheda
=Monte alto con jarales y maleza. =a tall mountain with rockrose and undergrowth
Mojon
Landmark
Molino
Mill
Morar
Reside, dwell
Nogal
Árbol de la familia de las Yuglandáceas, de unos quince metros de altura, con tronco corto y robusto, del cual salen gruesas y vigorosas ramas para formar una copa grande y redondeada, hojas compuestas de hojuelas ovales, puntiagudas, dentadas, gruesas y de olor aromático, flores blanquecinas de sexos separados, y por fruto la nuez. Su madera es dura, homogénea, de color pardo rojizo, veteada, capaz de hermoso pulimento y muy apreciada en ebanistería, y el cocimiento de las hojas se usa en medicina como astringente y contra las escrófulas.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 47 !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Orilla
The bank of an “arroyo”
Panilla
Medida que se usa solo para el aceite y es la cuarta parte de una libra.
Pare/pares
Pair, pairs
Parrales
= Grapevines. 1. Conjunto de parras sostenidas con armazón de madera u otro artificio. 2. Viña que se ha quedado sin podar y cría muchos vástagos. 3. Vasija grande de barro, semejante a la parra, que sirve también para contener miel.
Partir
To split; divide
Peñascal
Rocky ground (“sitio cubierto de peñascos”)
peñascos
crags
Peral/ Guadaperos
Pear trees
Picota
Rollo o columna de piedra o de fábrica, que había a la entrada de algunos lugares, donde se exponían públicamente las cabezas de los ajusticiados, o los reos.
Pizarra
= Slate. Roca homogénea, de grano muy fino, comúnmente de color negro azulado, opaca, tenaz, y que se divide con facilidad en hojas planas y delgadas. Procede de una arcilla metamorfoseada por las acciones telúricas.
! ! Portilla
=Pass. Paso, en los cerramientos de las fincas rústicas, para carros, ganados o peatones, que tiene a veces barrera o bances con que interceptar el tránsito.
Posada de colmenas
Trozo de monte bajo (low piece of covering rock) en el cual hay un colmenar no cercado (where bees are not enclosed)
Postigo
shutter
Quijo
Quartz with gold and slver
Racionero
1. Encargado de distribuir las raciones en una comunidad. 2. Prebendado que tenía ración en una iglesia catedral o colegial. 3. Prebendar = Dignidad, canónigo o racionero de alguna iglesia catedral o colegial
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 48 !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Recuesto/ Requesto
= a site with a declining slope
Rinde
Paid or submitted
Sanar/sanas
Guarantee, indemnify
Sayal
Wool. Also, Tela muy basta labrada de lana burda.
Sendero
Path
siero/sierro/ ciero
Hill on a mountain range (“teso de sierra”)
Solar
= Ancestral home/house/plot; (1) Casa, descendencia, linaje noble
Sopena
Under the penalty
Susodicho
Above mentioned
Taza
Pieza de metal, redonda y cóncava, que forma parte de la guarnición de algunas espadas.
Teja
Tile; roof tile
Tendero
Shopkeeper
Teneria
tannery
Tinafa
Storage barrels. Vasija grande de barro cocido, y a veces vidriado, mucho más ancha por el medio que por el fondo y por la boca, y que encajada en un pie o aro, o empotrada en el suelo, sirve ordinariamente para guardar agua, aceite u otros líquidos.
Treintanario
Número de 30 días, continuados o interrumpidos, dedicados a un mismo objeto, ordinariamente religioso.
Trocar
Exchange
Vara
1. Rama delgada. 2. Palo largo y delgado. 3. Barra de madera o metal, que tiene esa longitud y sirve para medir. 4. Trozo de tela u otra cosa que tiene la medida o longitud de la vara
Vecino
Resident
Vedado
=Forbidden. =to prohibit, to forbid Campo o sitio acotado o cerrado por ley u ordenanza.
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 49 !
Español
English or Spanish Equivalents
Vegada
Time, occasion; “a las vegadas” = “ a la de veces”
venero/benero
=spring. Manantial de agua.
Vezo/vieso
Custom
Vieso/vezo
custom
Visar
Approved
Yerno
Son-in-law
Ypre
A fine Flemish wool cloth from the town of Ypre
Yugada
=Measure of land that can be worked in a day =Espacio de tierra de labor que puede arar una yunta en un día. = Medida agraria que equivale a 50 fanegas o a algo más de 32 hectáreas.
Yunta
Pair of yoked oxen
!!
Deciphering Secrets Paleography Manual, Version 1.1
! of 50 50 !
