Cultures of the Fragment : Uses of the Iberian Manuscript, 1100-1600

__Cultures of the Fragment__ places fragments at the center of reading and non-reading uses of Iberian manuscripts. The book contests the notion that fragments came about accidentally, arguing that most fragments were created on purpose, as a result of a wide range of practical, intellectual and spiritual uses of manuscript material. "The majority of medieval and sixteenth-century Iberian manuscripts, whether in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish or Aljamiado (Spanish written in Arabic script), contain fragments or are fragments. The term fragment is used to describe not only isolated bits of manuscript material with a damaged appearance, but also any piece of a larger text that was intended to be a fragment. Investigating the vital role these fragments played in medieval and early modern Iberian manuscript culture, Heather Bamford's Cultures of the Fragment is focused on fragments from five major Iberian literary traditions, including Hispano-Arabic and Hispano-Hebrew poetry, Latin and Castilian epics, chivalric romances, and the literature of early modern crypto-Muslims. The author argues that while some manuscript fragments came about by accident, many were actually created on purpose and used in a number of ways, from binding materials, to anthology excerpts, and some fragments were even incorporated into sacred objects as messages of good luck. Examining four main motifs of fragmentation, including intention, physical appearance, metonymy, and performance, this work reveals the centrality of the fragment to manuscript studies, highlighting the significance of the fragment to Iberia's multicultural and multilingual manuscript culture."-- Provided by publisher

The majority of medieval and sixteenth-century Iberian manuscripts, whether in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, or Aljamiado (Spanish written in Arabic script), contain fragments or are fragments. The term fragment is used to describe not only isolated bits of manuscript material with a damaged appearance, but also any piece of a larger text that was intended to be a fragment. Investigating the vital role these fragments played in medieval and early modern Iberian manuscript culture, Heather Bamford’s Cultures of the Fragment is focused on fragments from five major Iberian literary traditions, including Hispano-Arabic and Hispano-Hebrew poetry, Latin and Castilian epics, chivalric romances, and the literature of early modern crypto-Muslims.

The author argues that while some manuscript fragments came about by accident, many were actually created on purpose and used in a number of ways, from binding materials, to anthology excerpts, and some fragments were even incorporated into sacred objects as messages of good luck. Examining four main motifs of fragmentation, including intention, physical appearance, metonymy, and performance, this work reveals the centrality of the fragment to manuscript studies, highlighting the significance of the fragment to Iberia’s multicultural and multilingual manuscript culture.

Contents 5 List of Figures 7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 15 1. Fragment and Fragmentary in the Iberian Epic 33 2. From Bound to Metonym: Early Modern and Modern Disuse of Chivalric Fragments 62 3. Used to Pieces: The Muwashshahas and Their Romance Kharjas from Al-Andalus to Cairo 95 4. Faith in Fragments 122 5. The Fragment among the Moriscos: Mohanmad de Vera’s Culture of Compilation 146 Afterword 175 APPENDIX 1: Breviario Sunni , chapter 22; De Vera, chapter 9 185 APPENDIX 2: Breviario Sunni , chapter 14; De Vera, chapter 9 187 APPENDIX 3: Breviario Sunni , chapter 12; De Vera, chapter 10 189 APPENDIX 4: Breviario Sunni , chapter 11; De Vera, chapter 10 191 APPENDIX 5: BNM 4871; De Vera, chapter 44 192 APPENDIX 6: De Vera, chapter 18; BNM 4871 194 APPENDIX 7: End of De Vera’s Treatise 196 Notes 197 Bibliography 225 Index 251