Winithar was a medieval
scribe
A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of automatic printing.
The profession of the scribe, previously widespread across cultures, lost most of its promi ...
, the earliest known scribe from the
scriptorium of the
Abbey of Saint Gall in present-day
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
The birth and death dates of Winithar are not known. He is mentioned for the first time in written sources in 760, and for the following three years he apparently worked as a scribe in the scriptorium of the abbey, and appears to have been the head of the scriptorium. Nine
illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...
s are attributed to Winithar. He wrote excerpts from the Bible, texts by the
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...
and two
homilies for the
Abbey library of Saint Gall. Between 765 and 768 he held the position of
dean at the abbey.
See also
*
Wolfcoz I
Wolfcoz I (''floruit'' first half of the 9th century) was a medieval scribe and painter of illuminated manuscripts, working in the scriptorium of the Abbey of Saint Gall in present-day Switzerland.
He entered the monastery some time before 813, a ...
References
Medieval European scribes
Monks at Saint Gall
8th-century births
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