Debating

For a week now my free time has been devoted to working on a series of notes from one of my ancestors - or so the story goes.  Written in about 1350 +/- a few years, by whom is now a nameless knight, I have ponders his writings for about two years.  First, Old German really sucks to work with, the Fraktur codice is so much gibberish to me!

In fact, were it not that Martin Luther also had a copy and published it, which was to be translated into English about 100 years ago, I would be sorely wounded in doing my translation!  Luther took it from handwritten to block printed Fraktur.  So, I can compare word by word the path from the fragile leaf, to the block Fraktur, to a very odd English.  Next step is to make it something readable to today's English reader.  Why?

Well, this is a very good look into a Renascence mindset, with a post dark ages look at Roman Catholic thought at the time.  Lets face it, the 14th century was not exactly a highlight in anyone's history book!

So I am working on how to develop the site.  How to best represent the thoughts expressed.  How best to make a commentary of them, for they are quite convoluted in places!  And once the 200 leaves are done - then what?  Would anyone be interested in it?  Or care?  Or would I be descended upon by - uhm, theology challenged types?

And to what end?

Yeah, it is a great deal of work, I sincerely doubt that there will be any juicy finds - other than I can put the writings into the context of what was going on at the time - and compare time frame to deeds.  Which ought to be quite fun!

So, I guess I will stop here and post this for tomorrow, a few hours away.  Across the week you will probably see a new blog appearing on my profile as I test layout and features I want to use.