hrēol

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Hana Videen

hrēol, n: reel, spool. (H’RAY-ol / ˈhreːɔl)

Medieval manuscript image of a woman spinning using a freestanding distaff; her cat has pounced on her twirling spindle. — The Maastricht Hours; Liège, 14th century; British Library, Stowe 17, f. 34r. [discardingimages.tumblr.com]

hand-cræft

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Hana Videen

hand-cræft, m.n: skill or power of the hand. (HOND-KRAFT / ˈhand-ˌkræft)

In the margin of a medieval manuscript, a crowned man with a long beard and fancy robes points to his outstretched left hand. — Historia regum Britanniae; France (Normandy), 1150-1200; Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des Manuscrits, Latin 8501A, f. 108v. [manuscrits-france-angleterre.org]

nǣdl

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Hana Videen

nǣdl, f.n: a needle. (NAD-ull / ˈnæː-dəl)

A bone needle, a very rusty pair of shears and a bone thread-picker. — Bone needle and thread-picker and iron shears; England, early medieval period; Museum of London Archaeology. [mola.org.uk]

blæc-horn

Posted on November 25, 2025 by Hana Videen

blæc-horn, m.n: ink-horn. (BLACK-HORN / ˈblæk-ˌhɔrn)

Medieval manuscript image of a haloed man sitting on a cushioned bench with feet on a footstool, with right hand dipping a pen into an ink-horn and with the left holding a book open on a lectern; a winged ox floats above holding a scroll. — Evangelist Luke at the beginning of the Gospel of Luke; N Germany (Magdeburg?), c. 1100; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.889, f. 184v. [ica.themorgan.org]

græft-geweorc

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Hana Videen

græft-geweorc, n.n: carved or graven work, a graven image. (GRAFT-yeh-WEH-ork / ˈgræft-jɛ-ˌwɛɔrk)

wull

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Hana Videen

wull, f.n: wool. (WULL / ˈwʌl)

Medieval manuscript image of a wooly white sheep standing among some plants with a placid expression on its face. — Sheep in a bestiary; England, c. 1225-1250; Bodleian Library, MS. Bodley 764, f. 34r. [digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]

hamer

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Hana Videen

hamer, m.n: hammer. (HA-mer / ˈha-mɛr)

Medieval manuscript image of a woman sitting on a bench, raising a hammer with her right hand, holding with her left hand an arm on the anvil; a fire burns in an architectural niche. — Roman de la Rose, Nature at her Forge; France (Paris), c. 1350; Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.324, f. 106v. [ica.themorgan.org]

gold-fæt

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Hana Videen

gold-fæt, n.n: thin plate of gold. (GOLD-VAT / ˈgɔld-ˌvæt)

hand-cræft

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Hana Videen

hand-cræft, m.n: skill or power of the hand. (HOND-KRAFT / ˈhand-ˌkræft)

fell

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Hana Videen

fell, n.n: skin, hide. (FELL / ˈfɛl)

Medieval manuscript open to a page that shows a former rip snaking across the page that has been neatly stitched up with thread. — Closeup of parchment from Leiden University Libraries, BPL 25 (9th century); photo by Erik Kwakkel. [medievalbooks.nl]