Thanks to seal skins, the history of the Middle Ages is being updated, as this period has always been seen as predominantly characterized by the use of local resources. Conversely, the discovery in some European abbeys of manuscripts bound with sealskins from Viking lands, is evidence of unsuspected trade between northern Europe and religious centers.
Abbeys’ manuscripts
What material was used to make the covers of medieval manuscripts preserved in the library of Clairvaux Abbey, France? Curiosity has moved scholars who, through DNA analysis of several manuscripts, have identified that some bindings were actually made from sealskins. Skins from common seals, Greenland seals, and bearded seals hunted in the Northwest Atlantic. But there is one detail that cannot be overlooked: Clairvaux Abbey, like others in Europe, is landlocked. So how did these hides get there?
A new study
A study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science (link here) demonstrates the existence of an unsuspected trade network connecting the Viking territories of Greenland to French, as well as English and Belgian monasteries. These routes were used to trade ivory, walrus furs, and seal pelts, sometimes used as payment for tithe, the ancient crop tax levied by the Church. So, although they were located in isolated places, medieval abbeys were well established in international trade.
The characteristics
But why sealskin in particular? The Cistercians and Benedictines, two Catholic orders, were distinguished by their relationship with luxury. Élodie Lévêque, an expert in book restoration at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, explains on French website Slate that “The Cistercians had a particular predilection for white, understated forms of luxury, which went well with the aesthetic qualities of sealskin”. But did the monks know they were using sealskin? There was no French term for this animal at the time, and we can assume that while they appreciated the material, they had little idea of its origin.
Photo Royal Society Open Science
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