Doodling

A new reading of medieval ‘doodles’

Doodles in medieval manuscripts are often interpreted as idle and mindless scribbles. But is this an accurate assessment? Could doodles instead reveal a hitherto unexplored way that people in the Middle Ages interacted with their manuscripts?

Manuscript Studies

Doodling in the Middle Ages

Doodling is something we do all the time: on the phone or attending a meeting we scribble, rather haphazardly and without thinking, squiggly lines, random words or mini drawings. The practice is old and originates in the pen trials of medieval scribes.