Sharing Shakespeare's Story
Quill fragment
Our word ‘pen’ comes from the Latin word ‘penna’ which means feather. In Elizabethan times pens were made from the central hollow rib, or quill, of a wing feather. The flight feathers of a large bird like a goose or swan made very good quills but feathers from ducks, pheasants, ravens, crows and even peacocks and turkeys could also be used. The natural curve of a quill from a bird’s left wing fitted comfortably into a scribe’s right hand, and vice versa. Fresh quills were allowed to dry and harden for six months before they were ready to be made into pens. The tool used to cut the quill was called a penknife and it had a small, sharp blade