Sequentiary-Hymnal (fragment). Breviarium, secular use (fragment)

England?, Sweden?, 14th century, second half?, 15th century

Parchment

i, 21, i' leaves

180–220 × 120–145 mm

2 units

Latin

Unit 1

1 (ff. 1r–18vv) Sequentiary and Hymnal

1.1 (ff. 1r–2v) Sequences

Incipit: Benedicta tu in mulieribus

Explicit: conserua mater nos et tuere

Note:

Very defective, only four sequences and one trope remaining:

‘Benedicta tu in mulieribus’, AH 54, no. 216 (first verse missing);

‘Hodierne lux diei’, AH 54, no. 219;

‘Gaude dei genitrix’, AH 40, no. 86 with trope ‘Gloriosa spes reorum’, AH 47, no. 470;

‘Uirgini marie laudes concinant christiani’, AH 54, no. 21.

see further Moberg (1927), pp. 21–24.

1.2 (ff. 3r–18v) Hymns

Incipit: Sancte dei preciose

Explicit: O Thoma Christi perlustrator

Note: The hymns are listed in Moberg (1947), pp. 91–92.

Unit 2

1 (ff. 2_1r–2_3v) Ferial Psalter (fragmentary): Vespers and Compline for Saturday

Rubric: Sabbato ad vesperas ymnus tempore estivali

Incipit: O lux beata trinitas

Explicit: et gloriam plebis tue Israel Gloria patris et filio

Note:

Among the hymns, listed in Moberg (1947), p. 92, 213–233, are:

f. 2_1r: ‘O lux beata trinitas’; ‘Deus creator omnium polique rector’ (for vespers);

f. 2_1v: ‘Te lucis ante terminum’;‘ Iesu salvator saeculi’ (for compline);

f. 2_3v: ‘Nunc dimittis’ (defective).

Physical Description

Secundo folio

et in regno claritatis

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: LCI–SL1v, SR1r–RCI

Support: Western paper

Leaf dimensions:

Unit 1

Locus: ff. 1r–21v

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 220 × 145 mm

Unit 2

Locus: ff. 2_1r–2_3v

Support: Western paper

Leaf dimensions: 180/180 × 120/120 mm

Note: No watermarks visible.

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil (1-18; 1-3).

Collation

Formula: 1(2), 2(8), 3(8), 4(3)

Note: VisColl collation

Condition

Unit 1

Parchment damaged, particularly towards the spine, exposing holes and threads from the binding of the volume. Occasional stains (f. 1r; f. 2r), holes (f. 11r; f. 12r), and tears (f. 4r; f. 13r).

Unit 2

Tears and modern repairs.

Layout

Unit 1

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 24

Written area: 140/140 × 100/100 mm

Note: Guidelines and ruling in hardpoint and ink.

Unit 2

Columns: 1

Written lines: 31

Written area: 140/140 × 80/80 mm

Note: Guidelines in ink.

Script

Unit 1

Description:

Textualis.

Unit 2

Description:

Gothic cursive.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) In black ink by a modern hand (G. E. Klemming): ‘A 53 i Antiqvitets Arkivet.’ National Library book label with current signum ‘A 53’ in black ink; in pencil the words ‘låda 50’.

(f. SL1r) Pasted parchment note, cut from the former cover, with the following text, written by Martin Aschaneus: ‘Scho Klösters Hymnale’. In black ink by a modern hand (G. E. Klemming): ‘M.L. Aschanei handstil.’ In brown ink by a modern hand: ‘20’. Bottom of page: pasted paper label with current signum in brown ink.

Unit 1

(f. 1r) Top of page, in brown ink by an Early Modern hand: ‘De Maria S^a Matre Domini’. In pencil by a modern hand: ‘Sequentier Ave Maria gratia Plena Dan. Tom. II can. cxvii.’ Bottom of page, in brown ink by Martin Aschaneus: ‘Liber hymnifer cum Notulis. Catalogus [table of contents] M. Aschanei 1603 ⟨manu⟩ propria’

(ff. 1r–18v) Notes in the margins by Martin Aschaneus and another Early Modern hand, pointing out the different feasts related to each text. Notes in pencil by a modern hand, with references to Daniel and others.

(f. 12v) Lower margin, in brown ink by a medieval hand: the hymn ‘Virginis proles opifexque matris’ (AH 51, no. 121), first two stanzas.

(f. 15r) Lower margin, in brown ink by a medieval hand: last stanza of the hymn ‘Beata nobis gaudia’ (AH 51, no. 91) on f. 14v, beginning ‘Sit laus patri et filio’.

(f. 15v) Outer margin, in brown ink by a medieval hand: the last verses of the hymn ‘Ecce iam nobis’ (AH 51, no. 31), beginning ‘beata patris hac nati pariterque sancti’.

(f. 17v) Lower margin, in brown ink by a medieval hand: first three stanzas of the Assumption hymn ‘Gaude visceribus mater in intimis’ (AH 51, no. 125).

(f. 18v) Lower margin, in brown ink by a medieval hand: the hymn ‘Adest dies leticie’ to St Erik (AH 43, no. 216).

Decorations

Unit 1

Description:

Main text in brown ink.

Initials:

Plain initials in red and blue, larger initials with pen-flourishing in contrasting colour.

Drawing:

Figurative pen decorations in brown ink on f. 5r; f. 10r; f. 11r (bird).

Unit 2

Description:

Main text in brown ink. Rubrics in red. Plain initials in red, some with flourishing in red and brown.

Musical Notation

Unit 1

Square notation on a four-line red staff.

Binding

Description:

19th century covers with marbled paper. Remnants of the original parchment cover are pasted on f. SL1r. On Spine, a paper label with text in brown ink: ‘Hymni et Sequentiae.’

Information about when the two units were joined in one volume is lacking.

Binding dimensions: 230/230 × 160/160 × 20/20 mm

Contemporary: No

History

Origin

Unit 1

England? 14th century, second half?

Based on contents, script and decoration, Moberg argues that the sequentiary/hymnal may have been produced in England. The hymn ‘Gaude Dei genitrix’ (f. 2r) and the following trope ‘Gloriosa spes reorum’ are both considered to be of English origin, while the melodic scheme of the sequence corresponds to that of ‘Laudes Deo devotas’, a sequence of English provenance rarely attested in Nordic sources. These features point to English liturgical influence and a possible connection with English ecclesiastical circles in Sweden; Moberg (1927), pp. 22–23; Moberg (1947), p. 91.

Moberg later proposed that the manuscript may have been intended for use in Strängnäs, citing ‘Christi miles gloriosus’ (f. 16v), associated with the feast of St Vincent, which was celebrated as a festum duplex in Strängnäs; Moberg (1947), p. 92, 278. In his earlier work, however, he also considered a possible origin among English Franciscans.

The attribution to Skokloster is probably erroneous, apparently deriving from Martin Aschaneus; Moberg (1927), pp. 21–22, Husmann (1964), p. 191.

Unit 2

Sweden? 15th century

Provenance

The sequentiary/hymnal was used in late medieval Sweden, as indicated by the added hymn to St Erik on f. 18v.

Martin Aschaneus: ownership note on f. 1r. The manuscript is included in the list of books owned by Aschaneus, see Lundström (1906), p. 265, and Gödel (1916), p. 219. Notes by Aschaneus in the margins.

The Antiquities Archive. In Helin's catalogue from the 1720s (U 91:2:2) listed as no. 20 (see number on the pasted label, f. SL1r). The current signum, ‘A 53’, was first used in Berch's catalogue dated ca 1758 (U 93).