The Acts of Eadburg: drypoint additions to Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Selden Supra 30

In 1913, two drypoint additions were identified in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Selden Supra 30 (SS30), an eighth‐century Southumbrian copy of the Acts of the Apostles. It was suggested that these additions, cut into the membrane of p. 47, were abbreviations of the Old English female name, Eadburg. Just over a century later, many more drypoint markings were discovered in the margins of SS30, including several instances of Eadburg’s full name. This article provides the first analysis of these additions to the manuscript. It argues, based on their form, content, and placement, that these tiny annotations represent meaningful responses to the text added to SS30 by its owner – Eadburg herself.

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Publication Details

Journal
Early Medieval Europe
Published
2026-01-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/emed.70016
Primary Topic
Medieval Literature and History
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

The Acts of Eadburg: drypoint additions to Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Selden Supra 30

Jessica Hendy‐Hodgkinson
Early Medieval Europe
Medieval Literature and History
article

The Acts of Eadburg: drypoint additions to Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Selden Supra 30

Jessica Hendy‐Hodgkinson
article en

Abstract

In 1913, two drypoint additions were identified in Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Selden Supra 30 (SS30), an eighth‐century Southumbrian copy of the Acts of the Apostles. It was suggested that these additions, cut into the membrane of p. 47, were abbreviations of the Old English female name, Eadburg. Just over a century later, many more drypoint markings were discovered in the margins of SS30, including several instances of Eadburg’s full name. This article provides the first analysis of these additions to the manuscript. It argues, based on their form, content, and placement, that these tiny annotations represent meaningful responses to the text added to SS30 by its owner – Eadburg herself.

Early Medieval Europe
University of Leicester (GB)
UK Research and Innovation, University of Leicester, Arts and Humanities Research Council
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 88%
Medieval Literature and History
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