Editing Lapidary (section)

=== Medieval lapidaries ===

The history of lapidaries can be traced back to the classical world, where writers like Theophrastus and Pliny the Elder laid the foundations for later medieval interpretations of gemstones. In his examination of ''lyngurium''—a mythical gemstone described by Theophrastus—Steven A. Walton discusses how classical knowledge was transmitted and adapted in medieval lapidary traditions. Despite the mythical nature of some of these stones, medieval lapidaries continued to draw on classical sources, blending scientific knowledge with magical beliefs. Walton highlights how these texts cataloged stones not only for their aesthetic and material properties but also for their purported magical and medicinal functions, making lapidaries sources essential for texts for both scholars and practitioners of natural philosophy during the medieval period.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Walton |first=Steven A. |date=January 2001 |title=Theophrastus on<i>Lyngurium</i>: Medieval and Early Modern Lore from the Classical Lapidary Tradition |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/000337900110041371 |journal=Annals of Science |volume=58 |issue=4 |pages=357–379 |doi=10.1080/000337900110041371 |pmid=11724065 |issn=0003-3790|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In Anglo-Saxon England, lapidaries became particularly significant as both medical and religious guides. Peter Kitson traces the transmission of lapidary knowledge into early medieval England, emphasizing how these texts informed by Lapidaries functioned as practical manuals for physicians, clergy, and scholars. The ''Old English Lapidary'', for instance, detailed the healing properties of stones, reflecting the belief that gemstones could cure illnesses and provide spiritual protection. Kitson argues that lapidaries in this period served a dual purpose: they were not only scientific texts that described natural phenomena but also moral and religious guides that connected material objects to divine forces.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kitson |first=Peter |date=December 1978 |title=Lapidary traditions in Anglo-Saxon England: part I, the background; the Old English Lapidary |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0263675100002854 |journal=Anglo-Saxon England |volume=7 |pages=9–60 |doi=10.1017/s0263675100002854 |issn=0263-6751|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Medieval lapidaries were deeply embedded in the practice of lithotherapy, the belief in the healing properties of stones. John M. Riddle’s analysis of lithotherapy in the Middle Ages emphasizes the medical role lapidaries played, particularly in guiding the use of gemstones for healing. These texts described how different stones, often categorized by color, composition, and astrological associations, could be used to treat specific ailments. Riddle points out that medieval lapidaries were not merely collections of folklore; they were often considered legitimate medical texts, consulted by physicians and healers to guide treatment practices.<ref>{{Citation |last=Boyle |first=Robert W. |title=Gold During the Middle Ages |date=1987 |work=Gold |pages=39–50 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1969-6_5 |access-date=2024-11-06 |place=Boston, MA |publisher=Springer US |doi=10.1007/978-1-4613-1969-6_5 |isbn=978-1-4612-9169-5|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The ''Peterborough Lapidary'' is another example of a medieval lapidary that reflects the blending of practical and mystical knowledge. As detailed in ''A Medieval Book of Magical Stones: The Peterborough Lapidary'', this text catalogs various gemstones and their magical properties, emphasizing the belief that stones could influence human behavior, protect against harm, and even cure diseases. The ''Peterborough Lapidary'' demonstrates how lapidaries were used not only for healing but also for magical and protective purposes, reflecting the medieval understanding that the natural world was imbued with supernatural power.<ref>{{Citation |title=Magical Stones or Amulets |date=2013-12-19 |work=Egyptian Magic |pages=45–84 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315828619-9 |access-date=2024-11-06 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781315828619-9 |doi-broken-date=2024-11-06 |isbn=978-1-315-82861-9|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Lapidaries also played an important role in medieval spirituality. Richard A. Beinert’s analysis of medieval piety and lapidary literature emphasizes how these texts reflected religious beliefs. Medieval Christians often associated gemstones with biblical figures, virtues, and divine forces. Lapidaries like the ''Peterborough Lapidary'' reinforced the idea that stones had sacred meanings, offering protection and spiritual benefits to those who used them correctly. Beinert suggests that these texts served as “windows on a medieval world” where natural objects were seen as manifestations of divine power, bridging the gap between the material and the spiritual.<ref>{{Citation |last=Jasperse |first=Jitske |title=Treasuries as Windows to the Medieval World |date=2022-01-05 |work=Authorship, Worldview, and Identity in Medieval Europe |pages=171–197 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003025160-10 |access-date=2024-11-06 |place=London |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781003025160-10 |isbn=978-1-003-02516-0|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Several notable examples of medieval lapidaries highlight their widespread use and cultural significance. The ''Lapidary of Sydrac'', a 13th-century text, stands out for its inclusion of unusual lore about gemstones. William M. Holler notes that the ''Lapidary of Sydrac'' cataloged not only conventional healing properties of stones but also fantastical claims, such as stones that could grant invincibility or manipulate human emotions. This text reflects the broader medieval belief in the mystical powers of nature and the importance of lapidaries in transmitting both empirical knowledge and magical traditions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Holler |first=William M. |date=November 1986 |title=The <i>Lapidary of Sydrac:</i> New Evidence on the Origin of the <i>Lapidaire chrétien</i> |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1484/j.mss.3.1204 |journal=Manuscripta |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=181–190 |doi=10.1484/j.mss.3.1204 |issn=0025-2603|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In literary contexts, lapidary traditions also made their way into poetry. Tony Davenport’s analysis of the medieval poem ''Pearl'' reveals how the symbolic meanings of gemstones, as described in lapidaries, informed the poem’s themes of loss, beauty, and spiritual transcendence. Davenport suggests that the portrayal of jewels in ''Pearl'' draws on lapidary traditions to convey deeper religious and moral messages, illustrating how lapidary knowledge permeated not only scientific and medical texts but also literary and artistic works.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Davenport |first=T. |date=2007-11-27 |title=Jewels and Jewellers in Pearl |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/res/hgm168 |journal=The Review of English Studies |volume=59 |issue=241 |pages=508–520 |doi=10.1093/res/hgm168 |issn=0034-6551|url-access=subscription }}</ref>