To an English teacher, there is something oddly very modern about the inter-textual world of medieval literature. There are many other points of resemblance, too, of course. I suspect we confront here something fundamental about the way the human mind works — in itself and in community. So I am delighted to discover this site and to read its opening remarks:
Medieval manuscripts resemble hypertexts, because they, like hypertextual Websites or electronic books, consist of composite works of different layers of texts, illustrations, marginal and interlinear glosses and annotations. Medieval Bibles, chronicles, works of the Law, and textbooks present examples of a high level of hypertextuality. Medieval hypertextuality can be defined as:
a. Non-linearity: multiple choices in the viewing order of blocks of text, illustrations, marginalia, and the links between the items.
b. Multi-vocality: the several relationships that are possible between the text and the illustrations, i.e., whether illustrations provide a literal equivalent of the text, or whether they provide additional information not included in the text.
c. Inter-textuality: references to other sources, mentioned explicitly in the text or implied in the text.
d. Decenteredness: the lack of one dominant unifying center and the ability of the text to offer different paths of investigation to different readers.
