Recent research has revealed that female scribes contributed to medieval manuscript copying, estimating at least 110,000 manuscripts produced by women during the Middle Ages. Conducted by the University of Bergen, the study used quantitative analysis of 23,774 colophons and identified 254 as authored by women—1.1% of the total. While this figure appears low, it highlights the necessity for further exploration of women’s roles in manuscript production, as many may not have attributed their work or are simply lost to history. The findings challenge traditional narratives that often overlook women's contributions in this field.
For centuries, the image of a monk hunched over a manuscript, painstakingly copying text by candlelight, has dominated perceptions of medieval book production.
This study estimates that at least 110,000 manuscripts were copied by female scribes during the Middle Ages, with around 8,000 still surviving today.
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