19-01-2016, 10:17 AM
I didn't know about the wax tablets theory but independently ended up at the same idea.
To create something like the VMS text in such a fluid manner (even with evidence of errors and changes) suggests either a deep familiarity with use of the "code" or that it was produced from a premade copy. Since parchment was precious, I tried to think of ways in which a temporary copy could be made.
My first thought was drawing in sand (and smoothing it and redrawing each line as it was copied). But sand tends to fill in the lines unless they are far enough apart. It's not very practical and requires a lot of space.
My second thought was using parchment with something that erases easily, something waterbased that washes off. The same sheet could be used over and over, but I couldn't think of any waterbased pigments of the time that would be easy to use (and to read) that would wash out readily without leaving stains. They may exist, but I don't have enough knowledge of pigment chemistry of the time to know if this is a practical solution and the VMS does not show evidence of advanced pigment knowledge—the pigments are rudimentary compared to many 15th century illuminated manuscripts.
My third thought was wax. It dries, you write in it with a stylus, you heat it and dry it again and use it again. I had no idea whether such things existed in the middle ages, so I googled wax tablets and discovered that school children did indeed practice with wax tablets around this time period (or at least by the 16th century).
To create something like the VMS text in such a fluid manner (even with evidence of errors and changes) suggests either a deep familiarity with use of the "code" or that it was produced from a premade copy. Since parchment was precious, I tried to think of ways in which a temporary copy could be made.
My first thought was drawing in sand (and smoothing it and redrawing each line as it was copied). But sand tends to fill in the lines unless they are far enough apart. It's not very practical and requires a lot of space.
My second thought was using parchment with something that erases easily, something waterbased that washes off. The same sheet could be used over and over, but I couldn't think of any waterbased pigments of the time that would be easy to use (and to read) that would wash out readily without leaving stains. They may exist, but I don't have enough knowledge of pigment chemistry of the time to know if this is a practical solution and the VMS does not show evidence of advanced pigment knowledge—the pigments are rudimentary compared to many 15th century illuminated manuscripts.
My third thought was wax. It dries, you write in it with a stylus, you heat it and dry it again and use it again. I had no idea whether such things existed in the middle ages, so I googled wax tablets and discovered that school children did indeed practice with wax tablets around this time period (or at least by the 16th century).