Ojala - good to see that !
Nice that there is an actual website, I didn't realize that either. Some day when things are more stabilized, maybe a younger novice
could work on translating.
Is the live journal still active, lesnianka, where I saw the fascinating article about your father, Mother Evfrosinia ?
I think we should bring that here, for our readers to appreciate -
I want to mention about that biography but before that I have another question relating to the same original book.
There was mention of one of the desert-dwelling Elders learning "the uncial script" -
what is that ? I have never come across any reference to that [at least that I recall.]
Barbara wrote:I want to mention about that biography but before that I have another question relating to the same original book.
There was mention of one of the desert-dwelling Elders learning "the uncial script" -
what is that ? I have never come across any reference to that [at least that I recall.]
From what I have heard, the uncial script is a type of calligraphy used in the Middle Ages, I think.
I took a couple of courses in Calligraphy when I was studying art in college.
Uncial is a beautiful script, but I prefer chancery cursive, as that is the one used for baptismal certificates.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
Starets Paissy Velichkovsky wrote in the script, and his disciples were often given the obedience of copying patristic works in Uncial. This was before the printing press was widely available. Several of the Optina Elders also learned the script (I have in mind the brother-Elders Moses and Anthony), being themselves in the Paisian tradition. Monastics especially loved the obedience of copying patristic works because they were able to soak up the Fathers' writings this way.
Sdcn.Ephrem wrote:Starets Paissy Velichkovsky wrote in the script, and his disciples were often given the obedience of copying patristic works in Uncial. This was before the printing press was widely available. Several of the Optina Elders also learned the script (I have in mind the brother-Elders Moses and Anthony), being themselves in the Paisian tradition. Monastics especially loved the obedience of copying patristic works because they were able to soak up the Fathers' writings this way.
Exactly. Calligraphy is an art and a prayer too, much like Iconography.
When one is writing in Uncial or Chancery Cursive, it is like a prayer.
One cannot be distracted, but must be focused on the work at hand,
as one mistake can wreck the entire page, thus listening to chant helps.
When reading the patristic writings in preparation for calligraphy,
one must sense the importance of each word and the line upon which it falls.
Letters can be extended to add significance to a word so that the reader will be more focused too.
The word at the beginning of a paragraph can be embellished with colors and designs
and even iconography can be used at the beginning and ending of sections.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.
If you've ever seen an old prayer book written in Church Slavonic, that's exactly the kind of script I'm referring to: occasionally embellished, red and black capital letters written in basically even size across the page. The Paisian manuscripts were all Slavonic. Optina translated some of it into Russian, but these were actually printed and not hand-copied.
Fascinating, thank you both !!
I wish we could actually put some examples of the two types here so to be able to compare them ?
Or it's too difficult maybe.
Really great to know about ; I am glad I ventured to ask !
