The text of the sections dealing with Britannia

The state of the text

Three manuscripts of the Cosmography are known: a fourteenth-century copy in the Vatican Library, Urb. Lat. 961 (Schnetz 1940’s A; Richmond & Crawford 1949’s V), a thirteenth-century manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris, Lat. 4794 (Schnetz B, Richmond & Crawford P) and a fourteenth-century manuscript at Basle University Library, F.V. 6 (Schnetz C, Richmond & Crawford B). The edition published by Schnetz and followed by Rivet and Smith (1979, 205 ff) is based on the first two, regarded by Schnetz as the most reliable, while Richmond and Crawford (1949, 17 ff) conflate all three with no apparent regard for the relative values and relationships of the manuscripts. The text presented here is based on all three manuscripts, acknowledging the first two as primary, but giving due weight to the Basle manuscript, particularly where its forms are evidently more trustworthy. Indeed, there are many cases where it has preserved better forms than the others. I have used the excellent photographs of all three manuscripts in Richmond and Crawford (1949) to establish the text from scratch.

The Vatican manuscript is neatly written, with the text presented in two columns on each page. A later writer has added the rubric Britania in the left hand margin two thirds of the way down folio 45 verso, but otherwise the text is without division and is carried on to folio 47 recto. The individual names are capitalised and separated by stops; where the writer perceived a name to have consisted of two separate elements there is no stop. A few words are abbreviated.

The Paris manuscript is also arranged into two columns of text, the British section running from close to the top of folio 29 verso to about one quarter of the way down folio 30 verso. It contains many more abbreviations than the other two, and the major divisions in the text are shown by paragraph marks. Again, the individual names are capitalised and separated by stops.

The Basle manuscript is the least easy of the three to read. It consists of a single column of text beginning about three quarters of the way down folio 107 recto and continuing to about half way down folio 108 verso. It contains more abbreviations than the Vatican, but fewer than the Paris. The text is divided into sections by means of underlined headings that do not appear in the other manuscripts and there are what appear to be occasional marginal corrections or clarifications of badly-written words in the main body of the text. These are in a very similar hand to the main text and may be the work of the same copyist. The names are capitalised but there are no stops separating them.

Of the 315 names presented by the text, all three manuscripts spell 200 (63.5%) in the same way; the Vatican and Basle manuscripts agree against the Paris manuscript over the spelling of 50 names (15.9%); the Paris and Basle manuscripts agree against the Vatican for 33 names (10.5%); the Vatican and Paris manuscripts agree against the Basle over 17 names (5.4%). In addition there are 8 occasions (2.5%) where none of the manuscripts agree and 7 names missing from the Paris manuscript where the Vatican and Basle manuscripts agree (2.2%). The relationship between the three manuscripts is relatively clear: although Schnetz considered the Paris and Vatican manuscripts to be more closely related to each other than to the Basle manuscript and therefore to be more trustworthy, the Paris manuscript nevertheless stands out as the most different. This is due in no small way to its greater use of abbreviations. Even so, the Basle text occasionally contains better readings than the others (for instance in the sequence Alauna Colonias Aranus, where the Vatican text runs Alauna <Coloneas Aramis> and the Paris manuscript Alauna <Coloneas>Aranus). This indicates that we should not dismiss its readings out of hand and that a full exploration of the variant readings is necessary. The Vatican and Paris manuscripts evidently belong to a textual tradition whose original source contained a number of errors not in the common archetype and which were not transmitted to the ancestor of the tradition now represented by the Basle manuscript.

Rivet and Smith (1979, 202-4) have listed the common types of scribal error found in the Cosmography, both between individual manuscripts and between the archetypal form of the name in the Cosmography and that known from other sources. Apart from the confusion of letters typical in medieval manuscripts (especially the common i/u/v/n/m interchangeability), we should also note that letters can intrude (eg <Nouiomagno> in the Paris and Basle manuscripts for Nouiomago 106₁₇), letters can be transposed (eg <Durobrisin> for Durobriuis 106₅₄, also with -n- for -u-), words can be incorrectly split (eg <Duro auerno Cantiacorum> in the Vatican and Paris manuscripts for Durouerno Cantiacorum 106₃₆, also with an intruding letter), initial letters can be lost (eg <Bannio> 106₂₅ for Gobannio) and internal letters can be lost (eg <Eburocaslum> 107₄₄ for *Eburocastellum).

The cultural milieu of the writer has also introduced certain unclassical elements into his spelling. Early eighth-century Ravenna was still a major European city, with influences from its Roman and Byzantine past meeting the Germanic present. However, it is true that Richmond and Crawford (1949, 2) over-emphasised the Cosmographer’s Classical pretensions, and Rivet and Smith (1979, 188) rightly point to his ‘impoverished culture’ as a major limiting factor on those pretensions.

By his time, too, Latin was in a state of flux. The process begun in the Vulgar Latin of the Empire was well advanced, and Latin was on its way to becoming the Romance languages of Medieval Europe. For instance, classical -ae- is regularly represented by -e-, and oblique neuter terminations, classically -um and -o, are often written -on, although only in the lists of names. The Cosmographer regularly uses b for v and vice versa in spelling placenames, while -ci- and -ti- sometimes show assibilation to -z-.

Many of the words are abbreviated in the manuscripts, following usual medieval practice. Neither Richmond and Crawford (1949) nor Rivet and Smith (1979) indicated where words have been expanded by the editor. In the text presented below, the abbreviations are retained. The process is slightly complicated by the fact that the different manuscripts do not all abbreviate the same words, so only those which show the same abbreviations are indicated here; if one manuscript contains the whole word, it has been printed without further indication. The capitalisations and punctuations of the texts have also been followed. It should be noted that although the Vatican and Paris manuscripts separate names with a stop, the Basle manuscript does not; we cannot therefore be certain that the archetype did so, and they have therefore not been used here.

The text

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(V ¶30) ...Iterum sunt in ipso oceano que dicuntur Vectis Malaca Insenos Taniatide.

(V ¶31) In oceano uero occidentali est insula que dicitur Britania ubi olim gens saxonum ueniens ab antiqua saxonia cum principe suo nomine anschis modo habitare uidetur. quamuis insulä ut diximus quidam grecorum phylosophi quasi micosmin appellauerunt. nam nos tam magnä insulä neque in suprascripto mari magno neque in prefato oceano dilatissimo neque in quo prediximus sinu oceani legendam nullo modo repperimus. in qua britania plurimas fuisse ciuitates et castra legimus ex quibus aliquantas designare uolumus id est:

Giano Eltabo Elconio Nemetotatio Tamaris Puro coronauis Pilais Vernilis Ardua rauenatone Deuionisso Statio deuentia steno Duriarno Vxelis Verteuia Melamoni Scadumnamo° Termonin Mesteuia Milidunum Apaunaris Masona Alouergium.

Iterum iuxta suprascriptam ciuitatem Scadonamorum est ciuitas que dicitur

Moriduno Alauna Silua Omire tedertis Lindinis Canza Dolocindo Clauinio Morionio Boluelaunio Alauna Colonias Aranus Anicetis Melezo Ibernio Bindogladia Nouiomago Onna Venta uelgarom Armis Ardaoneon Nauimago regentium Leucomago Cunetzone Punctuobice Ventaslurü Iupania Metambala Albinumno Isca augusta Bannio Bremia Alabum Cicutio Magnis Brano Genium Epocessa Ypocessa Macatonion Glebon Colonia Argistillum Vertis Salinis Cironium Dobuno° Caleba Arbatiü Anderelionuba Mutuantonis Lemanis Dubris Duroauerno Cantiaco° Rutupis Durobrabis Landini Tamese Brinauis Alauna Vtriconion Cornouiorum Lauobrinta Mediomano Seguntio Canubio Mediolano Sandonio Deua uictris Veratino Lutudaron Derbentione Salinis Condate Ratecorion Eltauori Lectoceto Iaciodulma Virolanium Londinium augusti Cesaromago Manulodulo colonia Durcinate Durouiguto Durobrisin Ventacenomü Lindum colonia Bannouallü Nauione Aquis arnemeza Zerdotalia Mantio Alicuna Camulodono Caluuio Galluuio Medibogdo Cantauenti Iuliocenon Gabrocentio Alauna Bribra Maio Olerica Deruentione Rauonia Bresnetenaci Veterano° Pampocalia Lagentiü Valteris Bereda Lagubalium Magnis Gabaglanda Vindolande Lincouigla Vinouia Lauaris Cactabactonion Eburacü Decuaria Deuouicia Dixiolugunduno Coganges Corie lopocarium.

Iterum sunt ciuitates in ipsa britania que recto tramite de una parte in aliam id est de oceano in oceano & sistunt iaci diuidüt in tertia portione ipsam britaniam. Id ±

Serduno Condecor Vindouala Onno Celumno Brocoliti Velurticon Esica Banna Vxelludamo Aualaua Maia Fanococidi Brocara Croucingo Stodoion Smetriadü Clindum Carbantiü Tadoriton Maporiton Alithacenon Loxa Locatreue Cambroianna Smetri Vxela Lucotion Corda Camulosessa Presidiü Brigomono Abisson Ebio Coritiotar Celouion Itucodon Maromago Duabsissis Venutio Trimuntiü Eburocaslum Bremenium Coccuueda Alauna Oleaclauis Euidensca Rumabo

Iterum sunt ciuitates in ipsa britania recto tramite una alteri conexe ubi et ipsa britania plus angustissima de occeano in occeano ±e dinoscitur. id est:

Velunia Volitanio Pexa Begesse Colanica Medionemeton Subdobiadon Litana Cibra Credigone

Ite° ± ciuitas que dicitur:

Lano Maulion Demerosesa Cindocellum Cerma Veromo Matouion Vgrulentum Rauatoniü Iberran Pinnatis Tuessis Lodone Litinomago Deuoni Memanturum Decha Bograndiü Vgueste Leuiodanum Poreo classis Leuioxaua Cermium Victorie Marcotaxon Tagea Voran

Sunt aut® in i×a britania diu®sa loca, ex quibus ali†nta nominare uolumus. id est:

Maponi Mixa Panouius Minox Taba Manaui Segloes Dannoni

Currunt aut® ÷ i×am britaniam plurima flumina, ex quibus ali†nta nominare uolumus. id est:

Traxula Axium Mauia Sarna Tamaris Naurü Abona Isca Tamion Auentio Leuca Iuctius Leugosena Coantia Doruantium Anaua Bdora Nouitia Adron Certisnassa Intraum Antrum Tinea Liar Lenda Viuidin Durolaui Alauna Coguueusuron Durbis Lemana Nouia Raxtomessasenua Cunia Velox

Finit² autem ipsa britania.

A facie orientis habet insulam thile ultra insulas dorcadas; a facie occidentis ex parte ×uincie galliä et promunturium pyrenei; a facie septentrionali insulä scotiä; a facie meridiana germaniä antiquä.

Iterum in eodem oceano occidentali post i×am magnam britaniam simulque et amplius longius ut diximus quam omnes insule altra magna finita ÷te septentrionali magis ex i×a occidentali est insula maxima que dicitur ibernia; que ut dictum est et scotia appellatur. cuius post terga ut iam ÷misimus nullo modo apud homines terra inuenitur.

Per quam scotiam transeunt plurima flumina. Int® cet®a que dicuntur. Id ±:

et Sodisinä Cled Terdec

Iterum in ipso oceano occidentali ponuntur diuerse insule. Ex quibus ali†ntas nominare uolumª. Id ±:

Corsula Mona Regaina Minerue Cunis Manna Botis Vinion Saponis Susura Birila Elauiana Sobrica Scetis Linnonsa

Item ad aliam partem dicitur insula Magantia Anas Cana Atina Elete Daroeda Esse Grandena Maiona Longis Eirimon Exosades ubi et gemme nascuntur

Legimus u®o in ipso oceano iä expleta parte occidentali tanquam ad partem regredientes meridianä que sunt numero insule triginta tres que et dorcades appellantur. que quamuis non existant omnes exculte attamen nomina illarum uolueramus ch°o no¾ iuuäte designare. sed quia peccatis emergenti³ suete a diuersis gentibus ipsa ½natur patria et ut barbarus mos est uariis uocationi³ easdem insulas appellant. sed est insula post aquitaniam que dicitur Obceo°. Reliquimus nomina designandum Ollarione. Ratis. Cordanoetoia.

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Manuscript variants