This is a compilation of my posts on Valentine’s Day—the first four posts—or posts related to Valentine’s Day. I would suggest you open Valentine’s Day: Martyrs & Birds first, particularly if you do not have the time to read more than one post. Originally these posts did not feature an embedded video. I have now embedded my melodies.
A Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!
The above illumination is from one of the 86 manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales, the Ellesmere Manuscript. Included among these 86 manuscripts is William Caxton’s printing of the Tales, one of the earliest printed books: 1478. Very early printed works, published between 1450 and 1501, are called incunables.
Johannes Gutenberg (1398 – February 3, 1468) is considered the first printer (c. 1439). Early printers, printers of incunables, sometimes left blank spaces where enluminures or illuminations were inserted. Historiated first letters are quite common in incunables.