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This compact Psalter was produced in Germany in the mid-thirteenth century. It contains the Latin text of the Psalms, preceded by a calendar that can be localized to Hildesheim. The text of the Psalms is followed directly by the Canticles, Athanasian Creed, Litany and Collects, and an abbreviated Office of the Dead, the end of which is lacking. An unidentified Latin prayer is written in a different hand on the recto side of the final folio. The large initial B for Psalm one, depicting King David with his harp (fol. 7v), is intact, as are two further historiated initials at the habitual divisions (Psalm 38, fol. 49r; Psalm 80, fol. 97v). Early marginal notations in German and an obit in the Calendar for a certain Anna Vremans provide evidence of early ownership and use.
Support: Parchment; Extent: 195; 152 x 115 mm bound to 156 x 115; Foliation: Modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto; Collation: 1 (8, -7 -8), 2-4 (8), 5 (8, -4), 6-8 (8), 9 (8, -3 -4), 10 (8), 11 (8, -4), 12-15 (8), 16 (8, -1 -2), 17 (8), 18 (8, -4), 19-23 (8), 24 (10), 25 (10, +1 +10); Signatures: Original signatures consisting of Roman numerals in red ink, numbered II-XXV, visible in lower center of folios: 14v, 22v, 30v, 37v, 45v, 53v, 61v, 67v, 75v, 82v, 90v, 98v, 106v, 114v, 120v, 128v, 135v, 143v, 151v, 159v, 167v, 175v, 185v, 195v
One column of sixteen lines, ruled in brown ink; written area: 103 x 78 mm
Gothic--semitextualis
One ten-line historiated initial (fol. 7v), two five-line historiated initials (fols. 49r and 97v), two-line illuminated flourished initials throughout, single-line initials in red, green, and blue throughout
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
Late fifteenth- or early sixteenth-century binding is not original to this manuscript, but is a well-preserved example of a late medieval binding; the blind-tooled fleur-de- lis within a lozenge pattern was a typical type of decoration in the fifteenth and sixteenth century; the binding maintains its original clasps
Several repairs in parchment; at least ten leaves, five of which would have contained illuminated initials, appear to be lacking: two leaves between fols. 6 and 7 (final page of calendar and an additional page); one leaf between fols. 33 and 34 (end of Psalm 25-beginning of Psalm 26); two leaves between fols. 63 and 64 (end of Psalm 50-beginning of Psalm 52); one leaf between fols. 78 and 79 (end of Psalm 67-beginning of Psalm 68); two leaves between fols. 114 and 115 (end of Psalm 96-beginning of Psalm 98); one leaf between fols. 131 and 132 (end of Psalm 108-beginning of Psalm 110); at least one leaf after fol. 194 containing the conclusion of the Office of the Dead
Marginal notes in a northern German dialect
An obit in the calendar for October (fol. 6r) reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace"
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Hildesheim?, Germany
Calendar contains Saint Ludger of Munster (26 March, fol. 2v), Saint Godehard of Hildesheim (5 May, fol. 3v), his translation (6 May, fol. 3v), and two entries for Bernward of Hildesheim (16 August, fol. 5r, and 20 November, fol. 6v); early marginal notes in a northern German dialect; Dr. Volkert F. Faltings of the Ferring Stiftung corrected the opinion expressed by Wolf (1937, p. 205) that the marginal notes were in a Frisian dialect: see personal correspondence preserved in curatorial file; mid-12th century
Late-fifteenth- or early-sixteenth-century, blind tooled pigskin with fleur-de-lis stamps within lozenge pattern, filleted border with rosettes, two decorated metal clasps; flush with book block
Latin; Middle High German (ca. 1050-1500)
Anna Vremans? (14th-century); John Frederick Lewis, Philadelphia; given by his widow, Anne Baker Lewis, to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1936; an obituary in the calendar for October (fol. 6v) reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace"
Hildesheim?, Germany
Calendar contains Saint Ludger of Munster (26 March, fol. 2v), Saint Godehard of Hildesheim (5 May, fol. 3v), his translation (6 May, fol. 3v), and two entries for Bernward of Hildesheim (16 August, fol. 5r, and 20 November, fol. 6v); early marginal notes in a northern German dialect; Dr. Volkert F. Faltings of the Ferring Stiftung corrected the opinion expressed by Wolf (1937, p. 205) that the marginal notes were in a Frisian dialect: see personal correspondence preserved in curatorial file; mid-12th century
Latin; Middle High German (ca. 1050-1500)
Anna Vremans? reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace" (provenance)
This compact Psalter was produced in Germany in the mid-thirteenth century. It contains the Latin text of the Psalms, preceded by a calendar that can be localized to Hildesheim. The text of the Psalms is followed directly by the Canticles, Athanasian Creed, Litany and Collects, and an abbreviated Office of the Dead, the end of which is lacking. An unidentified Latin prayer is written in a different hand on the recto side of the final folio. The large initial B for Psalm one, depicting King David with his harp (fol. 7v), is intact, as are two further historiated initials at the habitual divisions (Psalm 38, fol. 49r; Psalm 80, fol. 97v). Early marginal notations in German and an obit in the Calendar for a certain Anna Vremans provide evidence of early ownership and use.
Late fifteenth- or early sixteenth-century binding is not original to this manuscript, but is a well-preserved example of a late medieval binding; the blind-tooled fleur-de- lis within a lozenge pattern was a typical type of decoration in the fifteenth and sixteenth century; the binding maintains its original clasps
Several repairs in parchment; at least ten leaves, five of which would have contained illuminated initials, appear to be lacking: two leaves between fols. 6 and 7 (final page of calendar and an additional page); one leaf between fols. 33 and 34 (end of Psalm 25-beginning of Psalm 26); two leaves between fols. 63 and 64 (end of Psalm 50-beginning of Psalm 52); one leaf between fols. 78 and 79 (end of Psalm 67-beginning of Psalm 68); two leaves between fols. 114 and 115 (end of Psalm 96-beginning of Psalm 98); one leaf between fols. 131 and 132 (end of Psalm 108-beginning of Psalm 110); at least one leaf after fol. 194 containing the conclusion of the Office of the Dead
Marginal notes in a northern German dialect
An obit in the calendar for October (fol. 6r) reads: "Pie memorie obiit Anna Vr[e]mans requiescat i[n] pace"
Gothic--semitextualis
One ten-line historiated initial (fol. 7v), two five-line historiated initials (fols. 49r and 97v), two-line illuminated flourished initials throughout, single-line initials in red, green, and blue throughout
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
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