This week, I travelled to Cardiff to attend a workshop about medieval documents organised by Voices of Law, an international network studying law, language, and legal practice in Britain, Frisia and Scandinavia from 200-1250AD. This is an area that I haven’t really studied before as I have always been based in archaeology, but I want to knowingly approach different disciplines in my research, and be aware of all the different branches of medieval studies. This workshop was challenging, absorbing, and gave a valuable introduction to the processes and issues involved when using medieval legal texts as an archaeology student.
The first part of the day consisted of two panels that explored the methodology behind historical translation. The forms of translation were presented by Professor Carole Haugh as existing on a spectrum between a gloss, a word-for-word copying of the text into another language, and an interpretation, which moves away from the original word form to explain the text. The skill of translation is thus in finding the middle of the spectrum, creating an edition that has meaning to the audience but also respects the authenticity of the document. Multiple layers of meaning complicate this, whether lexical, grammatical, or implied, as does the difficulty in finding comparable terms in different languages that connect these meanings together.
The translation spectrum: tricky to balance?
The translation’s place on this spectrum between gloss and interpretation is influenced by the purpose, the logistics of publication, and by the background of the translator, as discussed by Dr Jenny Benham. In this way, the decisions that underpin each translation are highly individualised but need to be understood before the translation is used. The workshop taught me the importance of active engagement with a translation context. In my research, I will explore more than one edition of a text and follow up with reviews to select an edition that best conforms to my needs. This should strengthen my use of medieval documents within archaeological arguments as I’ll be using them with much more caution.
The rest of the workshop explored the field of medieval translation as it exists today. First, Professor Paul Russell and Dr Sara Ponz-Sanz discussed the translation and integration of different languages in medieval Britain, and how we can explore this in documents. Russell’s talk explained how Welsh law texts in the 12th to 15th centuries alternated between Latin and Welsh, a complex amalgamation of different word forms, transcription errors and context issues. Pons-Sanz told us about her research into the borrowing of Old Norse terms as integrated into Old English law codes. Both panel talks demonstrated how, by seeing medieval texts as quasi bilingual, the words used could be shaded by different contexts and origins so interpreted differently. This has a re-percussive effect of our understanding of the laws themselves so the societies that created and used them.
Translation in action c. Dr Benham (https://jembenham.wordpress.com/2017/01/06/what-does-that-word-mean-really/)
The workshop also immersed us in the modern translation of medieval legal texts. Professor Haugh ran the first session on Old English, exploring the different translations of Æthelberht’s 7th century law codes. This demonstrated the wide range of choices made by scholars with their own priorities and expectations, each of which influenced the resultant text. The second session was led by Dr Helle Vogt and Dr Hans Nijdam, based on their related projects translating Danish and Frisian laws into modern English, the first of which has been published as Denmark I: The Laws of Scania, Zealand and Jutland & Denmark II: Liber legis Scaniae, the Latin texts (8). This involved us carrying out our own translations, a challenging but surprisingly enjoyable enterprise which demonstrated the complications of making a legible text from a medieval law system.
The day was wrapped up by a round table discussion about our own experiences in translation. A lot of advice was shared, including how to begin a translation and the importance of regular practice with cake. The day presented historical translation as a learned skill, with so much potential for telling us more about medieval Europe, but with its own complexities and pitfalls. The most valuable point to take away from the workshop was the need for collaboration. Translations cannot be carried out alone, nor can they be used effectively without the insight of different disciplines. As an archaeologist only just starting my career, I think that it is particularly important for me to use translations with help from others so that I can make the most of medieval documents.
Note: below are some of my favourite tweets from the day, check the Voices of Law blog or #MedDocs for more information and thank you to all for an incredible opportunity, including The Leverhulme Trust and Medium Ævum who funded the event and all who organised it!
Archaeology Stories 
Great to hear you enjoyed it!
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I had a great time, thank you so much!
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