Oh, To Have Been a Scribe

The fact that, in 1^st and 2^nd world countries at least, illiteracy has been by and large eradicated is an achievement worthy of praise and of tremendous benefit to society as a whole. The ability to read and write is no longer the divider it once was for everyone from children to adults, and the campaigns for literacy that began 30-plus years ago have been a great success. So much so in fact that Generation X folks like myself and the Y / Z s who’ve followed seem to take it for granted.

If I told you that at some point in the past and in a certain part of the world, your being literate was the only qualification necessary to ensure you a very well-paying, well-respected profession where you, among other perks, NEVER PAID TAXES – would you believe me?

In Ancient Egypt, scribes were part of the royal court who documented everything from the musings of the nobility to administrative and economic policies to legal statutes and much in between. They were compensated very well for their work and enjoyed many of the benefits of being faithful servants of the pharaoh or other nobility. Further, they had absolute job security as literacy was shared by only a tiny percentage of the population and nearly exclusively it was a skill passed down from older scribes to their sons. When not taking hand-written notes or assembling their submissions, these men would also read to their wealthy employers who could not do so on their own.

The benefits didn’t end there – scribes were absolved of military service obligations as well. So instead of being displaced and deemed disposable you’re taking the minutes of the Hieroglyphic Hansard and regaling the old boys with a tale or two before enjoying some wine and entertainment. Sounds like it would have been my kind of gig if I’d been born a few thousand years earlier a little to the left of the cradle of civilization.

Yet here we are in the 21^st century and taking notes by hand is not only unimpressive but quickly becoming as long lost as the Sphinx’s nose. Many people these days claim they have either forgotten how to handwrite or have difficulty with it, and I’m certainly one of them. The electronic medium has taken over, and although well it should, there’s still something of an attractive nostalgic value in scribbling out what you have to say. Love letters need to be commended for prolonging the life of pen n’ paper, and I suppose to a lesser extent so do birthday cards and the like.

For those who do
not channel the entirety of their communications or discourses through a keyboard, there are still furniture pieces that manage to incorporate a writing desk sensibility into their design. Audio-Video-Furniture.com has recently added a selection of Haugen Rolltop Desks that offer the vintage style appeal of more old world-themed writing desks with the versatility to accommodate more electronic means of communicating. Distinctive with the traditional roll-top enclosures that foster a charm seemingly incomplete without a quill pen in ink and sealing wax, these desks also have more modern design features like cord management outlets and drop-front keyboard tray drawers.

These desks are a tasteful hybrid between the old and the new. Not as old as 3000 BC though, as the fact that the scribes sat cross-legged with a slate on their lap writing on papyrus may have made the job slightly less appealing. Actually, come to think of it – no, it probably wouldn’t have. Knowing you’d be set for life shortly after Dad had taught you how to read and write must have been a darn good feeling.