Reception and Practical Use of Ancient Letter Collections in Durham Cathedral Priory (1090-1540)

By Dr Lucas Amaya (9 April 2024)
This paper investigates the complex nature and multifaceted uses of both surviving and non-surviving manuscripts that encompass ancient letters and collections of such letters found in Durham Cathedral Priory, a Benedictine community in northeast England. The focus on ancient Epistolography has been considerably understudied, despite a growing scholarly interest in the field. Influential works like Janet Altman's "Epistolarity: Approaches to a Form" (1982) have pioneered the exploration of ancient letters and ancient letter collections (division well demonstrated by Gibson’s article “On the nature of the ancient letter collections” (2012), primarily those written in Latin from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE. The forthcoming groundbreaking publications by Gibson and Morrison in 2025 are expected to further illuminate this field. These epistolary works have been analysed through various lenses: as distinct literary forms, as mediums for encapsulating other genres, and as educational tools, among others. However, the existing scholarship primarily concentrates on Renaissance interpretations and applications, with limited focus on the medieval period, when most of the collections and variations were established.
This gap in research is particularly glaring given the importance of understanding how medieval communities, such as those in Durham, preserved, interacted with, and used these epistolary works. Observing multidisciplinary approaches, focusing on the cultural and humane elements, we intend to perceive not the philological issues of the manuscripts, but their societal impact, educational uses, and professional requirements. Hence, this paper aims to reveal the multifunctional role of ancient letters and ancient letter collections in Durham’s community. It will explore how these texts were not only used as educational tools to improve literacy rates and teach metrics and a few elements of rhetoric but also served as sources of self-enlightenment and enjoyment.
Despite Durham's geographical distance from major centres of power and the newly founded universities, its vibrant chancery, local courts, numerous schools, and even a dedicated house in Oxford demonstrate a rich and engaged intellectual life. Therefore, this paper will examine how the collection and usage of ancient letters and ancient letter collections in medieval letter-writing practices answered societal needs and expectations, even though those epistolary works did not have a direct connection with the most significant medieval letter-writing practices, namely, the Dictamen.
In doing so, this paper intends to show how ancient letters and ancient letter collections in Durham were deeply integrated into the fabric of Western and Central medieval European societies, serving roles far beyond were templates for imitation. It will demonstrate how they were instrumental in shaping the intellectual, cultural, and social landscapes of their time, thereby underscoring their enduring significance far from the simple perception of a minor literary genre.