An Act of Remembrance as a Path to Salvation: Commemorations in Bodleian Armenian Manuscripts

Medieval manuscripts often contain inscriptions called colophons, which provide information about the circumstances of the production of the manuscript, such as the place, the people involved, and the date.

In the Armenian tradition, colophon writing developed into a separate literary genre, and one of its unique characteristics was the inclusion of a passionate plea for remembrance of certain people in one’s prayers. This act of remembrance was perceived to be a moral duty and was believed to increase the chances of salvation for both the person remembering and the person remembered.

This talk explores the commemorative element of medieval Armenian colophons by looking into several manuscripts from the Bodleian Library's collection.

This talk is available in person and online.