Salvete!
I have just stumbled upon a passage in the second volume of Frater Felix Fabri’s “Evagatorium”. He and his companions are currently in a ravine and enjoy a badly needed break. Frater Felix uses this opportunity to record the voyage from Gaza to that place.
I was surprised that wax tablets were still in use in the late Middle Ages. I had always thought that these went the same way as the Romans.
Valete,
Carolus Raeticus
Here’s Chaucer:
His felawe hadde a staf tipped with horn,
A peyre of tables al of yvory,
And a poyntel polysshed fetisly,
And wroot the names alwey, as he stood,
Of alle folk that yaf hem any good,…
And whan that he was out atte dore, anon
He planed awey the names everichon
That he biforn had writen in his tables…
(Lines 1740-1759: Pratt 297f)
And Wattenbach says that they were still in use in his time at the Rouen fishmarket (c. 1875).
Salve Jeidsath and thank you for the insight. I never would have dreamed that this archaic writing material was in use for such a long time. Although, in hindsight, it should not have surprised me. After all, paper was probably not that cheap for quite some time. And in the absence of note pads, post-it notes and pieces of pottery for use as ostracon…
Vale,
Carolus Raeticus
Wood seems to be a fairly common material too. I know in the Roman period thin sheets of wood with bee’s wax served for letters in Britain. I think this could have continued. I attended a lecture, years ago, on the formation and development of Norse runes, which argued for wood there as well at some point.
Cheap. Easy to make. Unlikely to leave a lasting material record.
Right! It’s surprising and not surprising. I am also planning on having someone do some custom cut wood pieces for me to make an example of this and try it out, the wax tablets (because I do painting and things like that, not so much in the way of woodworking), I already have beeswax because I am also trying encaustic painting which was used at the time. Beeswax and a hardener, damar or carnauba wax, plus pigment.
I have attempted to make some, have read that soot or similar could be put on top to make the writing stand out more. I tried wood and beeswax. It was an interesting experiment anyway! I am stringing them together with leather cords.