When words get grounded

Medieval literacy replaced fragile speech with enduring text, transforming law, culture, and power.

What if a seemingly small innovation could redefine how entire communities share stories, settle disputes, and memorialise their past?

The shift from spoken oral tradition to written records triggered just such a sweeping transformation, felt across continents and cultures.

Verba volant, scripta manent. Words fly away, but written words stay down, the La…