National Library of Sweden, A 22
Composite manuscript containing Birgittine texts
Sweden, Vadstena, 15th century, first half
Parchment
106 leaves
295 × 220 mm
4 units
Latin
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
f. 98vb: after the text three paragraphs by different hands have been added:
‘Post ortum domini christi regnantis [...] In festo sancti quod contigit apolinaris’
‘Hic designatur locus in quo carne soluta [...] hanc incepta dies celestibus adnuncit apolinaris’
‘Humilitas vestra est [...] non sum dignus leuare oculos in celum’
The third paragraph has space reserved for an initial. Between the second and third paragraphs two words in brown ink have been erased (possibly ‘Hic designa’).
Unit 4
Secundo folio
auctoritata prefataSupport
Foliation
Collation
Condition
Binding/Endleaves
Endleaves missing.Unit 1
Repaired holes in the parchment and some blotches in the margin. No loss of text.Unit 2
Holes in the parchment, but no loss of text. Holes in the text encircled with dark or red ink.Unit 3
A few small holes in the parchment. No loss of text.Unit 4
Several repaired holes or tears, e.g. f. 102. Some leaves appear to have been trimmed at the top.Layout
Script
Unit 1
Hand 1
Gothic cursive. The hand is very close and possibly the same as that of the scribe of Riksarkivet, MS A 19, ff. 64r-120v.Unit 2
Hand 2
Hybrida.Unit 3
Hand 3
Gothic cursive.Unit 4
Hand 4
Gothic cursive.Additions
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Decorations
Unit 1
Main text in brown ink.
(ff. 1r–20r): Plain initials in brown ink over 3 lines. Some of the initials have interior reserved shapes.
(f. 1r): Loose bookmark made of faded red string.
Unit 2
Main text in black ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red.
Unit 3
Main text in brown ink, rubrics in red, capitals touched in red.
Binding
Contemporary binding from Vadstena, made after 1450. White leather over wooden boards. 3 pairs of raised bands and endbands. Hook-clasp fastening, catchplate on LCO. Pastedowns missing, remains of text offset on the wooden boards on LCI and RCI.
LCO, in red ink: ‘E III xi in ordine’. Spine, in brown ink: ‘CC’; in brown ink: ‘85’; stamped in gold: ‘A 22’; remains of old label, partially illegible, in black ink: ‘18.’, ‘A. 22’.
Regarding the binding and dating see Lindberg (1977), col. 128.
Provenance
The manuscript belonged to library in Vadstena (see shelf mark on LCO). In 1620 the manuscript was transferred to the National Archives by Johannes Bureus, see Gödel (1916), pp. 283–286.
Later the manuscript was transferred to the Antiquities Archive and is listed in its inventories and catalogues. There are 4 unique signa on the Spine, 3 of which have been identified.
The older signum, ‘85’, is mentioned in the inventory from 1722 (U 90:4, p. 42).
Current signum, ‘A 22’, was first established in Helin’s catalogue from the 1720’s (U 91:2:2).
Shelfmark at the National Archives (from the 19th century): ‘18’.
Acquisition
Transferred from the Antiquities Archives to the National Library in 1780. In 1889 to the National Archives, but returned to the National Library in 1909.
- Eklund (1975), p. 16, 69.
- Kraft (1929).
- Nilsson (1990), pp. 235–258.
- Nyberg (1973), pp. 353–382.
- Servatius (1990), pp. 215–234.
- Westman (1911), pp. 268–269.
