Psalter (fragmented)

Sweden, 12th century, last quarter, or 13th century, first quarter

parchment

36 leaves

295 × 210 mm

Latin

1 (ff. 1–36v) Psalms

Note:

ff. 1r–2v: Ps. 17:19 to 18:12 with antiphons;

ff. 3r–4v: antiphons and Ps. 21:1-25;

ff. 5r–5v: Ps. 49:3 to 50:4;

ff. 6r–6v: 51:5-11 followed by antiphons, psalms, a hymn, and an invitatory;

ff. 7r–12v: Ps. 53:9 to 63:4;

ff. 13r–14v: Ps. 77:48 to 79:10;

ff. 15r–15v: Ps. 81:5 to 83:4;

ff. 16r–36v: Ps. 84:13 to 108:14 (1st word only).

Antiphons for the psalms with musical notation throughout.

f. 30 has been bound in the wrong place; it should follow after f. 31. In addition to this, the original scribe has, due to homoeoteleuton, skipped from Ps. 105:16 to 105:32; f. 33 contains the missing section in the same hand.

Physical Description

Support

Textblock

Locus: ff. 1r–36v

Support: Parchment

Leaf dimensions: 295 × 210 mm

Foliation

No foliation; digital locus markers supplied.

Condition

Textblock

The textblock is severely damaged by water, with the first couple of folios barely legible, and the majority of the leaves, including the beginning and the end of the text, are missing. The remaining leaves are mounted on and/or repaired with modern paper. On f. 26 (Ps. 101), a large initial has been cut out.

Layout

Locus: ff. 4r–36v

Columns: 1

Ruled lines: 20

Written area: 205 × 130 mm

Script

Textblock

Hand 1

(ff. 1r–36v) Pregothic.

Additions

Binding/Endleaves

(LCI) Top left corner: National Library book label with the current signum; top of page, in black ink by a modern hand: a note on the origin and accession of the manuscript, ‘Fragmenter af ett Psalterium skrifvet i Sverige och begagnadt i en landskyrka i Uppland möjligtvis i Sigtuna In köpt på Hyckerströms auktion i Uppsala 23/3 1855 för [--- 2 chars ---] 16 sk N^o 3’.

(RCI) Edge of pastedown, a partially damaged note in a contemporary hand: ‘anno domini MC[--- 20 chars ---] Consilia nostri initium (?)’.

Textblock

(ff. 2r–36v) Bottom of every few leaves: National Library stamp.

(ff. 2v–36v) Intermittently, on repair strip or in margin: the psalm number, and sometimes also the verse, in pencil in a modern hand.

(ff. 14r–36v) Additions of omitted verses in the margin written in a triangular shape in a contemporary hand (possibly the main scribe) with an outline and signes-de-renvoi in red.

(ff. 6r–20v) Corrections of the text in a contemporary hand.

Decorations

Textblock

Description:

Main text in black ink; rubrics in red; capitals alternating in red and green (on the inserted (f. 33), red only).

Initials:

(ff. 2v–36v): plain initials over 2 lines alternating in red and green with flourishing in the contrasting colour, and some with interior reserved shapes.

Musical Notation

Textblock

Staves of four lines in red with square notation.

Binding

Description:

Brown leather over bevelled wooden boards. 5 double raised bands and endbands. Originally pin clasps and straps.

Binding dimensions: 300 × 210 × 60 mm

Condition: The manuscript is severely affected by water damage. The cover and pastedowns are worn; the binding is completely detached from the textblock and stored separately. Pin clasps and straps missing.

History

Origin

According to a note on LCI, the manuscript was written in Sweden. The script and mise-en-page date the manuscript to the 12th century, last quarter, or 13th century, first quarter, approximately.