TEI-encoded image-based editions of Middle English religious poetry: the case study of Prick of Conscience

Abstract The past century has seen the publication of numerous editions of various mediaeval texts. These are typically graphemic critical editions, which attempt to establish the text’s archetype by synthesizing content drawn from different manuscript sources. This proliferation has been accelerated by the advancement of digital humanities and the subsequent increase in the digitization of library archives. Given this context, this article presents conventions for generating a distinct type of edition: the graphetic and diplomatic image-based edition. This format ensures fidelity to the original source and is suitable for detailed study either of the language or the document itself. While XML-TEI is a common format for producing digital editions, its standard conventions may not always adequately represent the specific features encountered by mediaevalists in their manuscript source. Consequently, this article aims to provide guidance in the production of an XML-TEI edition that addressed challenges related to tagging different manuscript characteristics. These challenges include encoding features such as Middle English specific letters and symbols, manuscript illumination, and elements related to mediaeval scribal practices (e.g. additions or deletions). These conventions were developed following the TEI-P5 guidelines for editions (version 4.10.2) and were applied specifically to edit the Prologue of the poem Prick of Conscience. The study draws upon five different manuscripts: MS D.5, English MS 90, MS. e Mus. 76, CCA-DCc/LitMs/D/13, and MS Dd.12.69.