Comment lisait-on une lettre au Moyen Âge ? Le témoignage du Roman du Mont Saint-Michel

A rare medieval insight reveals how letters were read to high-ranking individuals in the 12th century, specifically at Mont-Saint-Michel. The study analyzes a passage from 'Roman du Mont Saint-Michel,' a verse text by Guillaume de Saint-Pair, a monk of the abbey. It describes a formal Latin letter, likely a papal document on parchment, delivered and read aloud by a chaplain to Richard I of Normandy. The chaplain meticulously unrolled, examined, and recited the letter's content in French, demonstrating precise translation skills without error. This provides an unprecedented glimpse into medieval epistolary practices, offering detailed evidence of how official correspondence was handled and interpreted during this period.

Bougy, C. (2016). Comment lisait-on une lettre au Moyen Âge ? Le témoignage du Roman du Mont Saint-Michel. Tabularia. https://doi.org/10.4000/tabularia.2470