A depiction of two steps of manuscript production / 12th cent.
Parchment was made to last so that its content could be carried from generation to generation. This quality was recognized in the Viking Age.
In 733 CCE, King Æthelbald of the Mercians praised the endurance of writing in a charter to Bishop Ealdwulf. He wrote: "Whatever (gifts) men give with their words, if (the gifts) are to endure, they should be recounted and supported with written letters."
Æthelbald and others recognized that the written word would be a valuable record for people, places and events whose memories would otherwise fade. Because of this understanding, modern historians have been able to study many centuries-old manuscripts like the one seen here.