Ink

“Encaustum” is the Latin word that the English word “ink” derives from. Encaustum means to burn or burn in and relates to the acids in medieval inks that would literally singe into the vellum or parchment.  Gall acid (or gallic acid) was mixed with soot from lamp black, gum and possibly iron salts to create an ink that would last for centuries although it is prone to fading to a redish brown color (Brown, p. 73).  The ink in the LSU manuscript still appears very fresh on most pages with minimal fading.