Anthology of Computers and the Humanities · Volume 4

Traditions archivistiques et analyse computationnelle : modéliser les légendiers français à partir des données de Jonas

Shannon Bruderer1 and Ariane Pinche2

  • 1 Maison des Sciences sociales et des Humanités - Lyon St-Étienne, Lyon, France
  • 2 CIHAM-UMR 5648, CNRS, Lyon, France
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Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.63744/87xcm3uNiTMz

Published: 21 May 2025

Keywords: digital humanities, humanities, database, medieval philology

Mots clés : humanités numériques, sciences humaines, base de données, philologie médiévale

Abstract

Nowadays, Digital Humanities are challenged by the growing prominence of computational and AI-based approaches, sometimes at the expense of data structuration. This article argues that rigorous data modelling remains a central epistemological component of Digital Humanities. Through the construction of a dynamic relational database dedicated to French medieval hagiographic manuscripts (legendiers), based on the metadata of the Jonas database (IRHT), we demonstrate how modelling choices in the database are intertwined with philological Issues. Focusing on the composition, of legendiers, the article shows how standards-based modelling enables the analysis of textual variance, compilation logics, and manuscript relationships at multiple levels. By combining philological concepts with interoperable data structures, this work shows the importance of data modelling as an essential practice at the core of Digital Humanities research.