Breviary for the Birgittine monastery Gnadenberg in Oberpfalz

Germany, Gnadenberg monastery, late 15th to early 16th century

paper

i, 175 leaves

195–215 × 140–150 mm

3 units

Latin

Unit 1

1 (ff. 1r–6v) Calendar

Note:

Notable feasts:

f. 1r: St Erhard of Regensburg (8 Jan.);

f. 2r: St Cunigunde (3 Mar.); St Katarina of Vadstena (22 Mar.);

f. 2v: St Adalbert of Prague (23 Apr.);

f. 3r: Translation of St Birgitta (28 May);

f. 4r: St Willibald of Eichstätt (7 July); St Birgitta (23 July);

f. 5v: St Birgitta (7 Oct.).

Important events in Gnadenberg monastery are noted by the main scribe,

for example:

f. 3r: ‘Obiit frater iohannes roperger in vigilia ascensionis anno m^occcc 72’;  

f. 4r: ‘mccccli Inclusio regularis facta est’;  

f. 5r: ‘Anno domini m^occc^olxxviii^o combustum est mollendinum nostrum negligenter’;

f. 6r: ‘obiit dominus vincentius primus confessor huius monasterii’.

2 (f. 7r) Absolutions and benedictions

Rubric: Absoluciones et Benedicciones In matutinis Absolucio in primo nocturno

Incipit: Exaudi domine Ihesu Christe

Explicit: deleantur omnia nostra delicta

Note: f. 7v: Blank.

3 (ff. 8r–54v) Psalter

Rubric: psalmi in completorio

Incipit: Cum inuocarem exaudiuit me (Ps. 4:2)

Explicit: quia angelus domini exercituum est deo gracias (Mal. 2:7)

Note:

ff. 8r–49v: Ferial psalter with antiphons, prayers and canticles (Psalms on ff. 11r–12r and f. 37vadded at a later stage); ff. 50r–50v: major prayers, ending with two antiphons to the Virgin, Lundén (1947), pp. 151–153;

ff. 51r–54rVotive offices:

St Mary;

the angels;

the apostles;

St Stephen;

St Willibald;

St Augustine;

St Birgitta;

St Walpurga;

St Anne;

Hymn to St Augustine.

4 (ff. 55r–64r) Office for St Augustine

Rubric: Incipit hystoria de sancto augustino

Incipit: Letare mater nostra ierusalem

Explicit: fornax nostra est humana lingwa

5 (ff. 64v–66v) Office for St Anne

Rubric: Incipit historia de sancta anna

Incipit: Terra pontus astra mundus

Explicit: O plena dies

Note: f. 67r: Blank.

6 (ff. 67v–69v) Office for St Katarina of Sweden

Rubric: hystoria beate katherine de swecia ad versus antiphona

Incipit: Letare syon filia iocunda fac tripudia

Explicit: ipsum ducas ad gaudium degustando diuina

Note: ff. 70r–71r: Blank.

Editions: Klemming (1885), pp. 74a–74k; AH 26, no. 75 ((The second antiphon for the third nocturne   missing in both editions: Matri Christi decantauit / matris habitaculo / ymnos ei supplicauit / ut succurrat seculo.).

7 (ff. 71v–79r) Office for the Virgin Mary

Rubric: In commemoracione beatissime marie virginis psalmi de virginibus cum antiphonis sequentibus in primis vesperis

Incipit: Ecce tu pulchra es amica mea (Cant. 1: 14)

Explicit: deo patri aue

8 (ff. 79v–106r) Birger Gregersson, Office for St Birgitta

Rubric: Historia in summis festiuitatibus Sancte Birgitte gloriosissime matris nostre antiphona in primis vesperis psalmi Omnia laudate in primis vesperis

Incipit: Birgitte matris inclite festa iocunda suscipe

Explicit: cum deo patre in veritate spiritus sancti deus

Note:

ff. 83v–85v‘Rosa rorans bonitatem’, antiphon by Nicolaus Hermanni; AH 25, no. 57.

ff. ff. 86v–103r Legend of St Birgitta, ‘Ecce descripsi eam tibi tripliciter’

ff. ff. 103r–105r Hymns to St Birgitta, ‘Salue decus feminarum’, AH 33, no. 69; ff. ff. 105v–106r ‘Beatarum mulierum Birgitta sanctissima’ ; AH 46, no. 199.

Edition: Undhagen (1960), pp. 173–227, 138.

9 (ff. 106v–143v) Common of saints

Incipit: In solempnitatibus apostolorum ad vesperas

Explicit: ab omni aduersitate custodi per dominum

Note:

ff. 106v–113r: Common of apostles;

ff. 113r–118r: Common of many martyrs;

ff. 118r–124r: Common of one martyr;

ff. 124r–125r: Common of a pope and martyr;

ff. 125r–131v: Common of confessor bishops;

ff. 132r–134v: Common of confessors not bishops;

ff. 134v–140v: Common of virgins;

ff. 140v–143v: Prayers, antiphons and readings.

10 (ff. 143v–145r) Cantus Sororum (excerpts)

Rubric: In aduentu domini post completorium vsque ad natiuitatem eiusdem

Incipit: De te virgo nasciturum mundo salvatorem

Explicit: quod fusca sim quia decolorauit me sol (Cant. 1:5)

Edition: Geete (1895), pp. 215–239.

Unit 2

1 (ff. 146r–161v) Ferial Psalter (excerpts)

Rubric: et feria secunda in laudes noctis

Incipit: Miserere mei deus (Ps. 50)

Explicit: Et clarificare nos luce uirtutum Per Christum

Note: f. 162 Blank. The psalter contains Lauds from Monday to Saturday.

2 (ff. 162v–163v) Legend of St Sebald

Rubric: Sancti Sebaldi confessoris legenda abbreuiata per sex lectiones patroni in Nurnberga leccio prima

Incipit: Rex quidam christianissimus in Dacia

Explicit: deo propicio prosperatur Tu autem

Note: f. 164r: Blank. f. 163v: the year 1505 noted in red ink underneath the text.

3 (f. 164v) Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Holy Gospel according to St Luke

Rubric: Secundum Lucam

Incipit: In illo tempore Exultauit Ihesus

Explicit: stulticia est apud deum (1 Cor. 3:19)

Edition: Adriaen (1957), pp. 236–237.

Unit 3

1 (ff. 165r–169r) Office for St Cunigunde

Rubric: historia de Sancte kunegunde ad uesperas antiphona

Incipit: Laudabile nomen domini qui kunegundi uirgini

Explicit: tandem rex sub vite fine

Edition: AH 26, no. 77.

2 (ff. 169r–173r) Lessons for The presentation of the Virgin

Rubric: lecciones de presentacione virginis

Incipit: Mirabilis deus in sanctis suis

Explicit: digneris efficiamur per eundem eiusdem

Note: ff. 174r–174v: Guidelines, but no text.

Physical Description

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Locus: ff. SL1r–SL1v, RCI

Note: Fragment of a calendar.

Support: Paper

Leaf dimensions: 195/195 × 140/140 mm

Unit 1

Locus: ff. L1r–145v

Support: Western paper

Leaf dimensions: 215 × 150 mm

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. L1r–12v,

Note: Bull's head with flower and cross, similar to Piccard II:3, XIII, 706.

Watermark 2

Locus: ff. 13r–46v,

Note: Bull's head with flower, similar to Piccard II:3, XII, 155 or 189.

Watermark 3

Locus: ff. 35r–46v,

Note: Circle with cross, similar to Briquet 3036.

Watermark 4

Locus: ff. 47r–58v,

Note: Scales, similar to Piccard V, I:262.

Watermark 5

Locus: ff. 59r–70v,

Note: Bull's head with cross and crown, similar to Piccard II:3, XV, 343.

Watermark 6

Locus: ff. 71r–108v,

Note: Bull's head with cross and star, similar to Piccard XI:3, XI, 225.

Watermark 7

Locus: ff. 109r–120v,

Note: Bull's head with flower and triangle, similar to Piccard II:3, XII, 864.

Watermark 8

Locus: ff. 121r–134v,

Note: Unidentified watermark.

Note: Bull's head with flower and triangle, similar to Piccard II:3, XII, 864.

Watermark 9

Locus: ff. 135r–144v,

Note: Bull's head with flower and triangle, similar to Piccard II:3, XII, 864.

Watermark 10

Locus: ff. 135r–144v,

Note: Bull's head with cross and star, similar to Piccard II:3, XI, 225.

Unit 2

Locus: ff. 146r–164v

Support: Paper

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. 147r–164v,

Note: Bull's head with flower and two buds, similar to Piccard II:3, XIII, 531.

Leaf dimensions: 210/210 × 140/150 mm

Unit 3

Locus: ff. 165r–174v

Leaf dimensions: 195/200 × 140/140 mm

Support: Paper

Watermark 1

Locus: ff. 165r–174v,

Note: Bull's head with flower and two buds, similar to Piccard II:3, XIII, 531.

Foliation

Modern foliation in pencil (76-77 skipped). f. 12r glued to another leaf.

Collation

Note: VisColl collation

Formula: 1(1), 2(14), 3-11(12), 12(14), 13(10), 14(2), 15(18), 16(3+6+1)

Note: Parchment guards.

Condition

Unit 1

f. 13r Upper half of the leaf missing. ff. 35r–36v Holes resulting in loss of text. f. 55v: Damage probably caused by a removed bookmark.

Layout

Unit 1

Locus: ff. 8r–164v

Columns: 1

Written lines: 37–39

Written area: 115 × 175 mm

Note: Blind-ruling. Prickings in the margins.

Unit 2

Layout 1

Locus: ff. 146r–161v

Columns: 1

Written lines: 19–22

Written area: 180/180 × 125/125 mm

Note: ff. 146r–147v: Guidelines in ink. ff. 148r–148v: Blind-ruling.

Layout 2

Locus: ff. 162v–164r

Columns: 1

Written lines: 24–39

Written area: 175/180 × 115/115 mm

Note: Guidelines in ink.

Layout 3

Locus: f. 164v

Columns: 1

Written lines: 24

Written area: 130/130 × 110/110 mm

Note: Guidelines in ink on the recto side of the page.

Unit 3

Locus: ff. 165r–173r

Columns: 1

Written lines: 24–26

Written area: 140/140 × 100/100 mm

Note: Guidelines in ink.

Script

Binding/Endleaves

Description:

Hand

(ff. SL1v, RCI–RCI)Various hands in gothic cursive and textualis.

Unit 1

Description:

Various hands, mostly hybrida, often difficult to distinguish.

Hand 1

(ff. 1r–10v, 13r–54r)Gothic cursive, with some unlooped ascenders.

Hand 2

(ff. 11r–12r)Semihybrida.

Hand 3

(ff. 54v–66v)Semihybrida

Hand 4

(ff. 67v–69v)Hybrida, with a few looped ascenders.

Hand 5

(ff. 71v–145r)Semihybrida.

Unit 2

Description:

Hand 6

(ff. 146r–161v)Hybrida, rather large and coarse.

Hand 7

(ff. 162v–163v)Hybrida.

Hand 8

(f. 164v)Hybrida, similar to Hand 4.

Unit 3

Hand 9

(ff. 165r–169r)Semihybrida.

Hand

(ff. 169r–173r)Semihybrida, similar to Hand 2 or 3.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Mirrored imprints in red and black ink from a lost flyleaf. Top, in black ink by a modern hand: ‘Inköpt från Ludw. Rosenthals Antiquariat i München, för 120 Reichsmark. Insänd 19/7 1886, betalt 31 jan. 1887 o. under s.d. inskrifven.’ Bottom left corner: National Library book label with current signum in black ink.

(f. SL1v) Top of page, in brown ink by a modern or early modern hand: ‘Loser’. Middle of page, in faded brown ink by an early modern hand: ‘Posem’.

(RCI) Top of page, in pencil by a modern hand: ‘M. O J. - Rosenstein H.’

(Note_1r–Note_2v) Letter from Maximiliana Hirschauer, prioress at the Birgittine monastery of Altomünster, to Gustaf Edvard Klemming in August 1886. Rubric: ‘Das Kloster Gnadenberg’. Signature: ‘Dr. Sighardt.’

Unit 1

(f. L1r) From top to bottom: In brown ink by a modern hand: illegible letters, followed by the words ‘de Cahier’. Underneath this: illegible letters, followed by the words ‘de Racine’. In red-brown ink by a modern or early modern hand: ‘C.1.’ In pencil by a modern hand: ‘A 92.’ In brown ink by a modern hand: ‘Saec. XIV fere scriptum.’ In pencil by a modern hand: ‘Manuscr. a.d. Anfg. d. 16 Jahrh.’ In black ink by a modern hand: ‘Breviarum för Birgittinerklostret Gnadenberg i Baiern (Oberpfaltz) 1465?-1505.’ In pencil by a modern hand: ‘* invigdt 1451’ (an asterisk in pencil is also found after the word ‘Gnadenberg’). In pencil by a modern hand: ‘Blad 76 och 77 överhoppade vid folieringen’. In pencil by a modern hand: ‘97.’

(f. L1v) Top of page, in black ink by a modern hand: ‘Inköpt till Kongl. Biblioteket från Rosenthals antiquariat i München 24 Juli 1886 för 120 mark’. Middle of page, in pencil by a modern hand: ‘Birgitta 79-106. officium’, ‘Katherina 67-69. officium’.

(ff. 1r–6v) In pencil by a modern hand: names of months. In red or brown ink by the main medieval hand: notes concerning events, commemorations and deaths in Gnadenberg monastery. The following addtions are also noted in the margin, in blue pencil by a modern hand: ‘Fr. Faber B. Pesler’, ‘1451’, ‘1468’, ‘1463’ and ‘1472’.

(f. 37r) Bottom of page, in dark brown ink by a contemporary hand: the lyrics to the antiphon ‘Gressus meos dirige domine secundum eloquiam tuum’.

(f. 51v) Bottom of page, in brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘perpetuum noli domine tue miseractionis presta subsidium quibus et angelica sufragia prestitisti non deesse per dominum’

(f. 52v) Upper left margin, in brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘vacat’

(f. 53r) Bottom of page, in brown and red ink by a contemporary hand: ‘Collecta Deus qui ecclesie tuae per beatum augustinum antistitem tuum vere sapientie arcana propitius sererasti (!) eius nobis meritis tribue id sincere quod docuit intellige et efficaciter adimplere per dominum’

(f. 54v) Underneath the text, in brown ink by a contemporary hand, perhaps the same as the main scribe: Three lines of an antiphon starting ‘Augustine flos doctorum’. At the bottom of the page, in dark brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘Adesto [--- 4 chars ---] supplicatoribus nostris omnipotens deus: et quibus fidutiam sperande pietatis indulges intercedente beato Augustino confessore tuo atque pontifice consuete misericordie tue tribue benignus effectum per dominum’

(f. 79r) Bottom of page, in black ink by a contemporary hand: ‘Et nos igitur hys contra euthicen dictis extollamus vocem cum ecclesia katholica cuius hec mulier typum gessit Extollamus et mentem de medio turbarum dicamusque saluatori beatus venter qui te portavit et vbera que suxisti’

(ff. 79v–86v) In the margins, in pencil by a modern hand: References to page numbers.

(f. 145v) In brown ink by the same hand as the main text: ‘Protege domine famulos tuos subsidiis pacis et beate marie semper virginis patrociniis confidentes a cunctis hostibus et periculis redde securos per christum’. Underneath this text: ‘Domine sancte pater qui corpus quod filio tuo de virgine maria sumpsisti illesum in tumulo conservasti incorruptum suscitasti conserua quesumus corpora nostra munda et immaculata in tuo sanctissimo seruicio et dirige viam meam in hoc tempore ut cum dies iudicii magnus et terribilis aduenerit inter sanctos tuos resuscitentur et anime nostre tecum eternaliter gaudeant et electis tuis sociari mereantur in nomine + patris et filii + et spiritus sancti + amen’

Unit 2

(f. 163v) Bottom of page, in brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘Omnipotens sempiterne deus qui vitam beati sebaldi confessoris tui per huius seculi erumnas laudabilem transire fecisti quesumus eius intercessione plebem clementie tue supplicantem in presenti festiuitate commemoracione foueas et post huius vite cursum ad celestia regna perducas per dominum’

(f. 164v) Bottom of page, in dark brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘Item Ewangelium istut cum omelia legitur in festibus sancte birgitte in monasterio ordinis nostri saluatoris in matutinis et ewangelium solum in missis’

Unit 3

(ff. 165r–173r) In the margins, in brown ink by contemporary hands: minor additions, for example references to numbers.

(f. 166v) Top of page, in light brown ink by a contemporary hand: ‘quam usque in finem casti coniugis consensu deo teste conseruauit’

(f. 174v) Top of page, in red ink by a contemporary hand: ‘O kunegund’. Bottom of page in brown ink by a contemporary hand, written upside down: ‘Presentetur hec hystoria fratri Willibaldo Marstaller in Monte Gracie professo. Scitote me presentasse literas vestras in Ingelstat, eciam unam prefecto in Sanser.’

Decorations

Unit 1

Description:

Main text in brown ink. Rubrics in red. Capitals touched in red.

Initials:

Plain initials in red over 1-4 lines with or without interior reserved shapes. (ff. 13Br–22v): Penwork initials over 4 lines, some with drawn faces, in brown and red ink.

Unit 2

Description:

Main text in brown ink. Capitals touched in red, underlinings in red. Rubrics in brown or red ink.

Initials:

Plain initials in red over 1-2 lines. (f. 146r) Penwork initials in brown and red ink with interior reserved shapes over 2-3 lines.

Unit 3

Description:

Main text in brown-black ink. Capitals touched in red. Underlinings in red. Rubrics in brown or red.

Initials:

Plain initials in red over 1-2 lines.

Musical Notation

Unit 1

Notation on f. 13Br f. 15r ff. 16r–16v f. 17v ff. 19r–19v ff. 20r–22v f. 23v ff. 24r–24v f. 30r

Binding

Description:

Late medieval binding. Light brown leather over wooden boards. Two endbands and three double raised bands. Traces of five bosses on LCO and RCO. On LCI  and RCI mirrored imprints of former pastedowns. On Spine, stamped in gold:‘ A 92’.

Binding dimensions: 210/210 × 155 × 45 mm

Tooling:

Tooled in blind with double frames on all sides with rectangular patterns in the middle. In the middle panel an X-shaped pattern with surrounding patterns of flowers and lozenges with a foliated staff in the middle.

Condition: Leather worn. Hook and clasp missing. Holes caused by insects throughout the volume.

History

Origin

Germany, Gnadenberg monastery , late 15th to early 16th century

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Provenance

Gnadenberg Monastery. The Confessor General at Gnadenberg in the 1490s, Willibald Marstaller, is mentioned on f. 174v. The year 1505 is noted on f. 163v.

Acquisition

Purchased by the National Library in 1887 from Rosenthal's antiquarian bookshop, Munich.

Bibliography

Lehmann (1937), pp. 143–144.
Lundén (1950), p. 74.
Hedlund (1980), p. 45.

Metadata

Statement of Responsibility

Cataloguers: Patrik Granholm, Elin Andersson

Sponsors: Medieval Latin Manuscripts in the National Library: Cataloguing and Digitization, National Library of Sweden

Funder: Riksbankens jubileumsfond – The Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences

External Identifiers

Libris ID: hzmzrwgzfp7w7jlb

Regina ID: 004854017

Internal Identifiers

Permalink: https://www.manuscripta.se/ms/101097

XML: https://www.manuscripta.se/ms/101097.xml

IIIF Manifest:

https://www.manuscripta.se/iiif/101097/manifest.json

License

Description: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Images: Public Domain

Last revision

2024-09-23

National Library of Sweden, A 92

Breviary for the Birgittine monastery Gnadenberg in Oberpfalz

Contents

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Physical Description

Support

Binding/Endleaves

Unit 1

Watermark 1

Watermark 2

Watermark 3

Watermark 4

Watermark 5

Watermark 6

Watermark 7

Watermark 8

Watermark 9

Watermark 10

Unit 2

Watermark 1

Unit 3

Watermark 1

Foliation

Collation

Condition

Unit 1

Layout

Unit 1

Unit 2

Layout 1

Layout 2

Layout 3

Unit 3

Script

Binding/Endleaves

Hand

Unit 1

Hand 1

Hand 2

Hand 3

Hand 4

Hand 5

Unit 2

Hand 6

Hand 7

Hand 8

Unit 3

Hand 9

Hand

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Decorations

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Musical Notation

Unit 1

Binding

History

Origin

Unit 1

Unit 2

Unit 3

Provenance

Acquisition

Bibliography

Metadata

Statement of Responsibility

External Identifiers

Internal Identifiers

License

Last revision