National Library of Sweden, A 42
Johanne Nielsdatter’s Book of Hours
Denmark, 15th century
parchment
139 leaves
145 × 105 mm
Latin, Old Danish
1.1
(f. 2v)
Blood-letting table
1.3
(ff. 13r–35r)
Hours of the Virgin
Ave maria Dignare me laudare te virgo sacrata
Graciam tuam quesumus domine mentibus nostris infunde vt qui angelo anunciante christi filii tui incarnacionem cognouimus per passionem eius et crucem ad resurreccionis gloriam perducamur per eum Domine ex⟨audi oracionem meam⟩ Benedicamus ⟨domino⟩ [mut.]
1.4
(ff. 35r–39v)
Hours of the Holy Spirit
In vnitate sancti spiritus benedicat nos pater et filius Amen
ut tibi casto corpore serviamus et mundo corde placeamus per ⟨Christum Dominum nostrum⟩ Benedicamus ⟨Domino⟩ [mut.]
1.5
(ff. 39v–41v)
Hours of the Cross
Tuam sanctam crucem adoramus domine
Iugi sic memorie mors est mihi cure Deo gracias Has horas O crux aue Te summa
1.6
(ff. 41v–51r)
Seven Penitential Psalms
Domine ne in furore tuo arguas me neque in ira tua corripias me
et hostium sublata formidine tempora sint tua proteccione tranquilla
2.1
(ff. 51v–95v)
Prayers to Christ
Wors herrae ihesu christi kors vaer meth mik ihesu christi kors är thet tegen som iec til bedaer
oc aen doo at iaec aer thet v verdugh at fonge aff myn verdskyld tha vnd mik thet for thin velsignet moders och alle thine helligene bøne amen
2.2
(ff. 95v–117r)
Prayers to the Virgin Mary
Huo som thissae aeffter skreffne bøner laeser i xxx dage meth gudaelighet for iomfru maria billet oc meth ieth brinendae lyus tha vordaer then menniske hørdh e huat drøffwilsae then menniske pa kallar iomfru maria vden alle thyffwel och thet hauer manghe menniske prøuet meth thisse bøner oc hauer fonghet hielp aff iomfru maria oc ther skulle laeses x aue maria standindae opp i melle huer bøn oc sa bønen
Maria iech bedaer thic oc paa myner thik for then store frygd och vaerdughet
och kom os alle til hielp och trøst i alle vor nodh och bedh for os til thin signet søn thet vi aldrig taeue then ewinneligh døt Amen
2.3
(ff. 117r–127r)
Prayers to St Anne
Huo som thisse xw sancta anna gleder laeser huerdagh i sancta anna hellaer hinner dotter iomfru maria heder gudaeligh then dag skal dieffuelen icki skade hanum och han skal icki fonge bradh døt han skal ey falle i von hob pa sin vderste thime han skal fonge større nadae aen han noger tid førre haude oc skal see sancta anna oc iomfru maria
Loff hedaer och aere vaere thik oc gledis aere fuld frue sancta ana
vite sortem pacem presta celebrantibus tua festa Amen
2.4
(ff. 127r–137r)
Prayers to Saints
Haere aeffter skriffues ien myghet god bøn aff thin hellige aengel
O helligae gusz aengel huilken som mik aer giuen til ien god bewarilsae aff then helligand
Iec beder vnd mik for hinnes bøn skyld at iech ma ower winne alle vnde ting oc at hwn matte väre ien salligh bederske for mik i allae the ting som mik nøttaelig aerae amen
Foliation
Modern foliation in pencil.
Condition
Layout
Script
Textblock
Hand 1
Hybrida.Additions
Binding/Endleaves
(LCI)
Top of page in brown ink by an early modern hand: ‘Ottho Kragh’. To the right, in brown ink by a medieval hand: illegible notes. Middle of page: National Library modern exlibris with handwritten signum: ‘A 42’. Middle of page in black ink by a medieval hand: ‘beder goth ffor niels oluff son. beder goth ffor ffolmer oll[u]ffson. bedher goth for iøren ollofsson. bedher goth for maren olofs da[tter]. beder got for iakop [?]’. Bottom of page in black ink by a modern hand: ‘Tillhör Kungliga Bibliotheket i Stockholm. Innehåller 138 blad.’
(RCI)
Top of page in brown ink by a medieval hand: three circles with signs, Roman numerals and text. Underneath in dark brown ink by a medieval hand: ‘Sancte deus bonitas nobis qui semina rerum nasciturum electa qum morbida curia lete accepit rebus iam mensis morte tenebit’. Under this, in dark brown ink by a medieval hand: a text in Danish concerning golden numbers.
Textblock
(f. Note_1r)
In black ink by a modern hand: notes on the contents and proper title of the volume.
(f. Note_1v)
Notes in black ink by a modern hand: ‘Tidebok på Latin och Danska skrifven af Johanna Nilsdotter torde vara bästa titeln’.
(f. Note_2r)
In dark brown ink by a modern hand: ‘Johanne Nielsdatters (jfr. Bl. 78.v.) Tidebog (jf. Christiern Pedersens danska Skrifter utg. af CJBrandt, BTh. Fenger II s. 497.)’
(f. 1r)
Top of page in brown ink by a modern hand: ‘Ottho Kragh’. Below in black ink: ‘33’. Middle of page in black ink in a modern hand: ‘Cursus Beatae Mariae (Vor Frue Psaltare). Dansk hdskr. fr. slutet af 1400-talet. början af 1500. Innehåller latinska texter till Danska "Vor frue tijder", jemte åtskilliga böner.’
(f. 1v)
In brown ink in a later medieval hand (cursive): ‘Psal. lxvi: Deus misereatur nostri’ (in total 12 lines).
(f. 4r)
In black ink by a medieval hand, for 8 February: ‘Helena drongne’, for 9 February: ‘Appolonia’
(f. 4v)
Top left margin, in black ink by a modern hand: question-mark. Top of page, to the right, in brown ink in a medieval, cursive hand: ‘obitus sanctis walburgis virginis’. Left margin, in pencil: Roman numerals continuing over (ff. 5r–6r).
(f. 6v)
Left margin, in black ink by a modern hand: two question-marks. In brown ink by a cursive hand: ‘Obiit dominus Iohannes Episcopus ? Anno Domini mdlxxxii’, possibly referring to Jens Pederssøn Skielderup, bishop of Bergen, d. 1582. Nielsen (1956), p. 224 suggests Jens Iversen Lange, bishop of Aarhus, d. 1482; ‘halnardi martiris’ referring to St Hallvard, May 15.
(f. 10v)
In light brown ink in a contemporary hand, for 7 October: ‘brigite’
(f. 11r)
In light brown ink in a contemporary hand, for 5 November: ‘mallacheus’
(f. 18v)
Left margin in pencil by a modern hand: ‘Ad Laudes’
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in brown ink, rubrics and introductions to prayers in red, capitals in red. Crosses in brown ink in the margin starting on (f. 52v) .
Plain, penwork initials in red ink over 8-11 lines, extended along the margin: (f. 13r) D (f. 19r) I (f. 51v) W (f. 63r) ‘I’ (f. 66r) (f. 71r) O (f. 73r) O (f. 83v) O (f. 96r) M (f. 81v) Penwork initial H in red and blue over 8 lines. (f. 14r) (f. 17v) (f. 18v) (f. 35v) (f. 39v) (f. 61v) (f. 78v) (f. 113v) (f. 120v) Plain, penwork initials in red ink, over 3-5 lines, some extended along the margin. Plain initials in red ink over 2-3 lines throughout the codex.
Binding
Late medieval binding. Brown leather over wooden boards; 4 pairs of raised bands, 2 hook-clasp fastenings. On Spine: traces of a label with text in brown ink: ‘35’; stamped in gold: ‘A 42’; label with text in brown ink: ‘A 42’.
160 ×
110 ×
60 mm
Blind tooling. Double frames; rectangles with motifs inside: flowers along the sides, lozenges at top and bottom. In the centre a medallion with flowers and leaves.
Leather worn. Leather straps and clasps missing. Spine very worn with significant loss of leather at the top, endbands, the uppermost band and bookblock exposed.
Provenance
The book originally belonged to one Johanne Nielsdatter, mentioned on f. 78v, possibly the daughter of the councillor Niels Christiernsen Munk, see Nielsen (1956), pp. 223–224. It was later owned by the Danish nobleman Otto Kragh, whose signature is found on LCI and f. 1r. Kragh's library was taken in the First Northern War (1655–1660), and some of his books given to the Royal Library; see Walde (1916–1920), vol. 2, pp. 405–406. Current signum, ‘A 42’, was first established in Helin’s catalogue from the 1720s (U 91:2:2). Also mentioned in Gustaf Peringer Lillieblad's printed catalogue (1706), p. 90: ‘35. Breviarium Romanum’ (signum found on the Spine).
Acquisition
- Nielsen (1956), pp. 223–228.
- Middelalderens danske bønnebøger, vol. 5, p. 21.
- Walde (1916–1920), vol. 2, pp. 405–406.
Statement of Responsibility
External Identifiers
Internal Identifiers
https://www.manuscripta.se/ms/101072
