I have become interested in the Gothic manuscripts while studying the etymology of the Finnish word juhla 'celebration.' Since Finnish is known to be a linguistic icebox where old Germanic words which disappeared from Germanic languages are preserved, I soon found myself poring over the Gothic manuscripts. Gothic is the oldest Germanic language of which written material has survived. However, examining the photographic rendering of the Gothic parchments is not a straightforward task. The manuscripts have been studied for more than 400 years, however, the reading of some parts of them is unreliable. This paper is the sum of knowledge and material I collected and the software I have either assembled or created to facilitate a digital deciphering and presentation of those photos. The study of the manuscripts with the aid of digital technology is only in its beginning. My study is an inter-disciplinary endeavor and, as such, does not belong entirely to any academic domain. I am grateful to Professor Reino Kurki-Suonio for his open-minded approach, his support, and valuable advice. I thank Professor Karen Egiazarian for his support and guidance in the area of digital image processing. In the area of acquiring and digitizing the photos of the manuscripts I wish to thank Lars Munkhammar and Ilkka Alavalkama for their technical support. I also thank Christian Petersen for his comments on the reference list. David Landau
[email protected] Tampere, October 9, 2001 Table of Comtents 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 2. DIGITIZING CULTURAL HERITAGE .................................................................... 3 3. DIGITIZING OLD TEXTS .......................................................................................... 6 3.1. Old Text in Image Mode ............................................................................................