Pali Codicology
- Course Code:
- NEWUGSR003
- Unit value:
- 0.5
- Year of study:
- Year 3, Year 3 of 4 or Year 4 of 4
The course aims to provide students with in-depth experience of handling, analysing and working with manuscripts of Pali and/or Pali-vernacular texts in a variety of the Asian scripts used for Pali.
By the end of the course the student will be able to demonstrate some or all of the following:
- the ability to read Pali from manuscripts in at least two of the traditional scripts
- familiarity with standard formulae and signs that structure manuscripts (end of text markers, traditional punctuation, scribal versus authorial text, etc.), introductory forumulae, auspicious formulae, indications of title.
- awareness of several of the major Pali manuscript collections of the world
- knowledge of how to produce both critical and diplomatic editions
- knowledge of how to create an apparatus and show variant readings
- the ability to identify genre
- the ability to identify a text, where sufficient data is available
- familiarity with manuscript-production and preservation methods
- familiarity with the historical, traditional context of manuscript production and preservation.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the course
- Hands-on experience of at least three UK collections (major and minor).
- Manuscript production.
- Manuscript preservation.
- Beliefs about manuscripts in Theravada Buddhism.
- Scripts.
- How to read a manuscript.
- How to catalogue a manuscript.
- Independent work on either cataloguing manuscript or editing/translating a text from manuscript.
Workload
This course will be taught over 22 week course.
Please note, this is to give student time to work on manuscripts independently, giving as much time as possible to liaise with holding libraries. If it is not possible to state that a half unit is taught over this length of time, please change to 11.
Students will spend 5x2 hours in total for the seminars/tutorials and will also spend 5x2 hours (in mss collections) undertaking Project work.
Method of assessment
Essay which will be 2,500-3000 words and this will 50% which will count towards your final mark. The essay will have to be submitted on friday week 1 term 2.
Language lab work or other aspects of performance in the course. This will be a written assignment of 1000-3000 word catalogue/manuscript identifications/textual editing (with or without translation). Length depends on difficulty of materials, in agreement with tutor, forming one whole piece of several individual pieces. Submitted directly to course tutor ongoing during course.
This will be counted as 50% towards your final grade and the final deadline for all such material: school final coursework submission date.
