Today, I want us to jump to another period in history inherent to the evolution of calligraphic writing. By another period in history, I mean hundreds of years past the initial stages of logograph development. The years between the 6th-8th centuries have been long characterized by historians as lacking in cultural development. These few hundred years actually exist within the larger historical period commonly dubbed the “Dark Ages.” In this blog post, I’d actually like to spurn this idea when it comes to decorative writing. In fact, reflecting on these few centuries will showcase how some key aspects we associate with calligraphy today initially came to be. 

 

To give some context, the developments and techniques we will be discussing occurred simultaneously with the height of the Byzantine Empire and its distinguishing Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In the Middle East, the Umayyad Caliphate and rise of Islam dominated, affecting Byzantium and the Franks. In Europe, the Early Middle Ages were well underway, with the Carolingian Empire of Charlemagne and the feudal system being well known components of the period. Islamic and European contribution to the art of calligraphy will be our main two focuses here.

 

Religion in this period was so crucial to practically any development within society. Islamic calligraphy is literally named after the religion of Islam; it is almost entirely based off of the main Islamic text (the Qu’ran). Islamic calligraphy is also known as Arabic calligraphy because of how the Arabic language was able to flourish so closely with the spread of Islam. The kalam (qalam), or dried reed pen, was the traditional utensil applied to the medium at hand in this type of calligraphy. In a broad context, Islamic calligraphy had multiple branches in which it was used in daily life; education, religion, and government all utilized complicated script.

 

Fig 1. Bibliotheca Alexandrina Antiquities Museum. Reed Pen (Qalam).

 

In these centuries, Islamic calligraphy had two unique styles: Kufic and Naskh/cursive. Kufic is typically associated with use on dignified occasions and purposes. It is distinguished by the dramatic unyielding appearance of its script. The angular lines exhibited were made by precision on the horizontal plane, and were almost always accompanied by complicated emblems in celebration of religion. Intricate designs were favored in copies of the Qu’ran, but have also been found in coinage, architecture, and on burial sites. Naskh, or cursive script, was used informally (as casual as one could be when practicing calligraphy). It became standardized as the main Islamic script in the late years of the first millennium.

 

Fig 2. The Met Museum. Folio from a Qu’ran Manuscript.

 

Calligraphy also experienced moments of weighted consequence in Europe. The Latin script began dominating the dark rooms of monastic institutes when monks withdrew from questionable external developments in society after the fall of the Roman Empire. Monks allowed decorative writing to thrive when cultural conditions (as referenced earlier) were not welcoming to the advancement of variations of the written word. The Bible and additional Christian literature were copied as the Islamic world copied the Qu’ran. Monks removed from the outside world took advantage of their religiously-determined remoteness to advance existing scripts as the Christian Church took responsibility for all book-making without the Romans in play. Some European religious institutions still retain volunteer scribes to keep the historical background of calligraphy relevant. All in all, the proliferation of copies of the Bible essentially encouraged fancier scripts. 

 

Uncial and half-uncial scripts are the primary form of European examples of longhand (writing down with a pencil or pen-like utensil rather than a keypad) calligraphy in the 6th-8th centuries. They are sometimes referred to as “book hands.” The uncial script was the more prescribed of the two and used majuscule letters (uppercase) almost exclusively. The half-uncial script was not used widely in religious writing but survived centuries longer than its counterpart. It is differentiated from uncial script with its use of the miniscule Latin alphabet (lower case). Both scripts survived by use of quill pens with cut nibs; the pen being cut at angles meant that each section of a letter had to be completed in different strokes. This made the creation of manuscripts and documents with decorative writing very time consuming. The aesthetic appearance of this work, however, led to manuscripts with these styles becoming precious and desired. 

 

Fig 3. Dartmouth Ancient Books Lab. Uncial / Half-Uncial.

 

In the uncial script, curved letters take the stage rather than ones of strictly angular design. New mediums like parchment instead of harsh papyrus allowed this to occur. Observation reveals the script to be wider than the basic Roman scripts and rustic capitals of the past. Unlike the letters we use today, the uncial style’s majuscule letters are all proportional in length to each other; one letter rarely extends above or beyond the next (for the most part).

 

Fig 4. Lordan, Patrick. Book of Kells, 8th C Irish Manuscript.

 

On the other hand, the half-uncial script differed in proportionality. The new style showcased diverse ascenders and descenders that we would be able to recognize today. It is often considered the more beautiful of the two scripts. Interestingly enough, it is this script that the Old English Latin alphabet was based off of!

 

Fig 5. Dartmouth Ancient Books Lab. Half-Uncial.

 

Beyond the uncial and half-uncial script styles, unique national brands of calligraphy and scripts soon developed around Europe. We will discuss more of this in a future blog post. Thanks for exploring calligraphy in the Dark Ages with me today! I hope you learned something new. See you next time!