National Library of Sweden, A 183
Psalter (Gallican)
Germany, 13th century, second half, or 14th century, first half
parchment
ii, 240 leaves
140 × 85–100 mm
Latin
Notable feasts:
f. 2r: St Augulus (7 Feb.);
f. 2r: 79 Martyrs (21 Feb.) Hur rapportera felet? Hs har 89
f. 3v: St Marin (Marinus miles, 3 Mar.);
f. 3v: St Rupert (27 March; addition);
f. 6r: St Wilibald (7 July);
f. 6r: St Henry (13 July);
f. 8r: St Oswald (5 Aug.);
f. 9r: St Euverte (7 Sep.);
f. 9v: St Sigo (Sequanus, 19 Sep.);
f. 10r: 300 (or 360) Martyrs of Cologne (15 Oct.);
f. 11r: St Serapion (14 Nov.).
Psalms 1-150.
The two bifolia making up f. 138/ f. 141and f. 139/ f. 140 respectively have been placed in the wrong order and should switch places. This appears to have happened already in the middle ages, as a contemporary hand seems to make a note on the incorrect order of the psalms at f. 140r(‘sequitur dominus regnauit [--- 16 chars ---] ’). The hand adding the psalm numbers has also erased the ‘7’ in its original ‘97’ and changed this to a ‘9’ - i.e. the Hebrew number for Dominus regnavit - erasing in the process part of the medieval note. The note on f. 141r seems, however to pertain not to the order of the psalms but to the antiphons (‘Cantate domino ⟨canti⟩cum nouum Be⟨atus homo⟩ quem tu erudier⟨is⟩ ’.)
f. 205r: Canticle of Isaias the Prophet (Isa. 12);
f. 205v: Canticle of Ezechias (Isa. 38:10-20);
f. 206v: Canticle of Anna (1 Sam. 2:1-10);
f. 208r: Canticle of Moses (Exod. 15:1-19);
f. 209v: Canticle of Habacuc (Hab. 3:2-19);
f. 212r: Canticle of Moses (Deut. 32:1-43);
f. 216v: Canticle of the Three Children (Dan. 3:57-88);
f. 217v: Canticle of Zachary / Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79);
f. 218v: Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55);
f. 219r: Canticle of Simeon / Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32);
f. 219v: Te deum.
Support
Foliation
Collation
Condition
Textblock
The edges have been trimmed with loss of some of the text of the marginal notations. The two bifolia making up f. 138/ f. 141 and f. 139 / f. 140 respectively have been placed in the wrong order and should switch places. A dummy-quire of 12 leaves has been inserted after f. 240v for support.Layout
Script
Textblock
Additions
Binding/Endleaves
Textblock
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in dark ink; rubrics in red. The more elaborate decoration scheme of the initials corresponds to the traditional division of the psalms into three groups of 50, Pss 1-50, Pss 51-100, and Pss 101-150. The less elaborate decoration scheme corresponds to the secular cursus, with larger, decorated initials at Ps. 1, 26, 38, 52, 68, 80, 97, 109 (Sunday-Saturday Matins and Sunday Vespers). The exceptions are Pss 52 and 97, which are decorated according to the more elaborate scheme.
(ff. 1r–12r): ‘KL’ over 3 lines in blue and red at head of each month.
(f. 13r) (Ps. 1): illuminated opening initial ‘B’ over 9 lines inside a square mauve frame with a black outline; letter body in a vine stem shape in blue, green, and red decorated with a scallop pattern, outlined in black and with foliage in blue, red, and green; counter space in gold leaf.
(f. 80r) (Ps. 51), (f. 141r) (Ps. 97), (f. 143r) (Ps. 101): foliate initial over 4-5 lines inside a square black frame with a background in green, or mauve and gold leaf; letter body in a vine stem shape in blue decorated with a scallop pattern, outlined in black and with stems in red, or red and mauve, and foliage in green; counter space in gold leaf.
(f. 80v) (Ps. 52): foliate initial over 4 lines inside a black frame with a background in gold leaf; letter body in vine stem shape in blue decorated with a scallop pattern, outlined in black and foliage in green; in the counter space, a red flower with green leaves on a black background.
(f. 43v) (Ps. 26), (f. 63r) (Ps 38), (f. 98r) (Ps. 68), (f. 120r) (Ps. 80), (f. 162r) (Ps. 109): puzzle psalm initials over 5 lines in red and blue and counter space filled with penwork in red and blue.
(ff. 13v–223v), (ff. 229v–238v): plain psalm or item initials over 2 lines alternating in red and blue, ascenders/descenders extending into the margin.
(ff. 13r–223v): plain initials over 1 line alternating in red and blue.
For further description of the decoration see Lindqvist Sandgren.
Binding
Early modern binding. Brown leather over wooden boards. 5 double raised bands and endbands. 2 hooked clasps with small, etched ornamental patterns. Blind-stamped on LCO: the letters ‘I S D E’, and below, ‘1614’. Spine: a paper label with the signum ‘324’; below, stamped in gold: the current signum, ‘A 183’. Below, remnants of a paper label.
A medallion on the LCO and RCO, outlined by a gilt laurel wreath; the rest of the motif worn off. A centre panel surrounded by a triple-outlined frame containing floral patterns. A flower in the corner of each centre panel.
Origin
Germany, 13th century, second half, or 14th century, first half. The calendar's inclusion of saints like Willibald, bishop of Eichstätt, Rupert, bishop of Worms (and Salzburg), and the 300 Martyrs of Cologne seems to place the manuscript in Germany, and possibly its western part, or its neighbouring areas. Notable is the feast of 79 Martyrs on 21 February, which, according to Grotefend, is observed only in Cologne and Utrecht (Grotefend (1898), p. 167), and, according to Beckman, in Cologne, Utrecht, and Worms (Beckman (1912), p. 97). Here, it is erroneously designated as ‘89 martyrs’ (f. 2v). Also notable is the fact that St Columbanus is included twice: both on October 24 and November 21. Both of these dates for the feast occur in Mainz and Worms (Grotefend (1898), p. 81). The ‘Maurine uirginis’ listed on March 10 is, presumably, the St Mariana (also Marina) who is associated with the St Agapa celebrated on the same day (see Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon, March 10). A ‘Maurine virginis’ is found on March 10 also in a calendar from Cologne found in Cambridge University Library, MS Add. 3323 (Pink (2021)). Notable is also the feast of St Serapion on November 14, in northern Europe observed, according to Grotefend, only in Utrecht (Grotefend (1898), p. 167). St Euverte, otherwise observed mainly in France, is celebrated also in Utrecht, Liège and Worms. Also notable is St Sigo (Sequanus), who is otherwise strongly associated with northern France.
Provenance
Based on the note ‘C XV’ on LCI, a former librarian believes that the manuscript may have belonged to King Charles XV of Sweden and Norway. The signa ‘140 ’on LCI and ‘324’ on the Spine have not been identified.
