Presently, I am preparing for a “Taster” session for the “Rural Routes Through the Holy” June gathering at Sackville N.B.. My topic is “Writing Scripture by Hand”. There are many benefits of undertaking this activity as a spiritual exercise, as it forces a person to slow down. Yes, even reading can be too quick! By actually taking the time to write it out by hand, a greater connection to the words occurs. This benefit is especially true if you start with a prayer for wisdom and end with a prayer of thanksgiving.
My suggestion would be to use a writing implement that helps you to relax and slow down. Thus, I use a dip pen and bottled ink, as they used in the great scriptoriums of the past, that is before the invention of the printing press. There are many writing tools that you can chose from, namely, a ballpoint pen, gel pen, fountain pen, glass dip pen, steel nib dip pen, or even a feather quill. I have used them all; however, the feather quill is the most frustrating, as it requires a “pen knife” to keep the tip sharp over time. I tend to use “Noodlers” black fountain pen ink, also known as “bulletproof black”, because it is fairly thick when using a steel nib dip pen and it doesn’t feather or bleed through inexpensive paper. Some other ink manufacturers have ink that is fine for a fountain pen and good quality paper, but they often seem too watery for my dip pen purposes.
Now, should you truly want to experience the old scriptoriums, you would need actual parchment made from animal skins. Preparing it is a labour-intensive process and not reasonable with today’s available paper. So too, is the making of the ink. They used iron gall ink, which is made from oak gall. The galls are round growths made by the oak tree, as a wasp tries to lay it eggs in the tree’s tissue. The oak tree responds by secretions of tannin, and the tannin in the galls is a main ingredient in the ink. Once the galls are boiled and added to ferrous sulphate, a dark black permanent ink is made. Yes, from the American Declaration to the letters of Jane Austen, most correspondence was written with iron gall ink.
Now if you have followed my articles in our newsletters, you will know that I am up for a challenge. So, a few weeks ago I decided to make my own ink. Here is the recipe:
Ink has two ingredient, namely tannic acid and iron sulphate. In the Middle Ages the tannic acid came from oak galls, but this recipe will use black tea as a source. The iron is from steel wool.
Prepare the tea (tannic acid) solution: Measure 100 mL of tap water and heat it to boiling. Then add a copious amount of black tea (orange pekoe), and let it steep to become very dark almost black and undrinkable.
Next make the iron solution: Measure 50 mL of vinegar into a container and add a piece of steel wool. Heat to boiling. Reduce the heat and keep it on low for a few minutes. Then allow the solution to cool. Remove the piece of steel wool. Then filter the solution through coffee filter paper.
Add a little 3% hydrogen peroxide to the cooled iron solution. Then add to the tea (tannic acid solution) and stir. It should turn truly dark now! Finally, add some Gum Arabic, which you can get at a craft store, to thicken and stabilize the ink.
Afterwards, I sat down to write letters to my usual pen-pals with the newly-made ink and my steel nib dip pen. I can report that it was completely useable. So, be a monk for a day and grab your pen and start writing! Be prepared that it will take a long time to wash and wear off your fingers should you be a bit careless. I learned from experience! Now you know why those old manuscript Bibles are still with us.
Rev. Martin Dawson (retired)
Cornwall, PEI