For almost four hundred , the University of Aberdeen has housed one of the best - preserved medieval illuminated manuscripts in universe . The Aberdeen Bestiary depictsbirds , bat , and other colorfulcreaturespainted against backgrounds of brilliant gold leaf . Having once belonged toKing Henry VIII , it was long believed that the Holy Scripture was published solely for the wealthy elite . Details revealed by high - definition digitization suggest that the manuscript was or else created as a commandment tool , Live Sciencereports .
The bestiary was published in England around the yr 1200 , and was first document in the royal subroutine library of Henry VIII in 1542.Digital enhancementin 2016 provided several clue to the book ’s original purpose : On one page , dirty fingerprints point a point where the instructor turned the volume around to show his students . Accent marks throughout the text are trust to signify emphasis when read out aloud . The mellow - definition photography also expose notes and sketches left in the border by the manuscript ’s creators .
So if the Aberdeen Bestiary came from such base beginnings , how did it terminate up in the hands ofroyalty ? Researchers from the university now believe it was ransacked from a monastery during the Reformation . lighted manuscripts were to begin with used by non-Christian priest and Thelonious Sphere Monk , with the earlier copies date back to the 5th one C . It was n’t until the12th centurythat they reach popularity with more secular bunch .
Now , after remaining largely unaccessible for 100 , the playscript is used for teaching once more — this time online . Every detail of the digitized issue , from the imperfections to the brushstrokes , is uncommitted to view through theuniversity ’s site .
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A version of this story was published in 2016 ; it has been update for 2024 .
