ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the sources and authorship of the encyclopaedic notes in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 320 that foregrounds the richness and complexity of seemingly prosaic and dully factual, anonymous material. It shows that these notes bear close resemblances to the digested oral exposition extant in the encyclopaedic Canterbury and Leiden glossae collectae. Encyclopaedic texts are frequently overlooked, as they often form later additions to codices, and are commonly described as ‘miscellaneous’ and therefore unexceptional. The chapter shows their central and long-lived position in early medieval intellectual culture. In addition to making some of the greatest treasures of early medieval manuscript culture readily available online, the digital and readily accessible website, Parker 2.0, encourages a re-evaluation of lesser-studied texts such as ‘miscellaneous’ encyclopaedic notes. By way of conclusion, a reflection on the role of Parker 2.0 in contemporary research is offered.
