Making discoveries is perhaps the biggest goal of every scholar and scientists. The paths leading to such discoveries can be very varied. Sometimes they are the logic and inevitable result of painstaking research, sometimes they come to us unexpectedly after long and thorough studies while doing something else (taking a shower seems to be a classic), and sometimes they are a happy coincidence.
One of the happiest coincidences in the project Paper Trails occured earlier this year while I was on the phone and my colleague dropped off the handbook of the online watermark database Wasserzeichen-Informationssystem. She nonchalantly threw the handbook right in front of me onto my desk, right when I needed to write down some details. I grabbed a notepad, put it on the handbook and jotted down the details. After the phonecall I looked down on the notepad, and lo and behold – I found a lookalike of the partial watermark from the oldest extant paper charter in Iceland (read about the charter here)! Until then, I believed that this watermark was a dented top of the rod of Basel, however, it turned out to be a dragon‘s tail. The cover of the handbook bears the image of a watermark of a dragon, and my notepad covered all of the image except for the dragon‘s tail, which looks just like the watermark of the Icelandic paper charter. So thanks to this coincidence with my colleague, I was able to identify this important watermark correctly!
Another coincidence occured on Friday the 13th. Last week I got a cat and have been working from home, not wanting to leave the poor kitty (well, 11 year old tomcat) alone. While I catproofed my flat, I unearthed a book that I had ordered for an article but that arrived too late. I had forgotten about the book, but since the deadline for the revision of said article is looming, I thought I should read it now during home office. I did not find new information in the book‘s chapter that was relevant for my article, but as the cat was napping on my lap I kept on reading – and found a missing link of Bishop Guðbrandur Þorláksson‘s paper trade!
With these good news at the end of the year, Paper Trails Iceland wishes you a festive season, relaxing holidays and a happy new year with many discoveries!
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