The community of the realm in Scotland, 1249–1424
History, law and charters in a recreated kingdom
Constructing the versions from the manuscripts
Alice Taylor explains how Versions 1, 2 and 3 of Regiam were conceived from the manuscript-groups.
The manuscript groups
Here, as a reminder, are the manuscript groups.
- Manuscript-group1: C F
- Manuscript-group2: CH D E G H I J S
- Manuscript-group3: K O R
What , then, is the relationship between these manuscript-groups and a version?
A version, it must be remembered, is not the same as a recension. It does not aim to represent in any meaningful way any work which might have been instantiated in a manuscript.
Instead, a version is manifested in an entirely artificial text (version-text) which offers a way in to understanding the textual movement a work experienced across all manuscript instantiations.
Going back to the network diagrams.
A version, therefore, is associated with a manuscript-group; it does not represent that manuscript-group.
Version-text is a text which transcribes all the settled text of a work within that manuscript group and represents, through two symbols, the places where other manuscript instantiations of the work have different text patterns.
The definition:
"Version-text is a transcription of all the 'settled text' from all the manuscripts which make up a particular 'version'. "Dynamic edition: Key Concepts
Manuscript-group refers to the collection of physical objects themselves; version is the name applied to their collective and abstracted manuscript-texts based on their shared and similar characteristics.
A version has no physical form; a manuscript-group does.
A version is only manifested by its version-text.
Version-text 1 of Regiam therefore refers to the settled text and symbols for unsettled text generated from the manuscripts containing what is thought to be the earliest extant structure and content of Regiam.
Version-text 2 of Regiam therefore refers to the settled text and symbols for unsettled text generated from the manuscripts which revise or contain revisions, in different ways, of the earliest extant structure and content of Regiam.
Version-text 3 of Regiam therefore refers to the settled text and symbols for unsettled text generated from the manuscripts which contain a revision of Regiam which seems to have encompassed forms of Regiam instantiated in manuscript-groups 1 and 2.