Research Guides: Facsimiles of Medieval Manuscripts and Incunabula: Liturgy

Liturgy

Clergy and members of religious orders in the Middle Ages attended or celebrated Mass every day. As the summit of the Christian life, the Mass (or Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Church) often required multiple books for the various readings, hymns, and prayers. In addition to Mass, clergy and religious orders had eight prescribed periods of prayer per day called the Divine Office: Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. Each period of prayer included a set of hymns, antiphons (short chanted prayers), and biblical and spiritual readings. Various types of books were used for each set of hymns and prayers until they were eventually combined into a single book called the breviary.

Liturgy

Durham Ritual; a Southern English Collectar of the Tenth Century ...
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- BX2015.7.A4 B76 1969

Publication Date: England, 10th century

Durham, Durham Cathedral Library, MSS A.IV.19

Black and White Facsimile with English Introduction
Carolingian Sacramentary
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- BX2037.A3 G7 1971

Publication Date: France, circa 870

Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Codex Vindobonensis 958)

High Quality Color Facsimile with German Commentary
Drogo Sacramentary
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- BX2037.A3 G7 1974 v. 1-2

Publication Date: France, circa 850

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS Latin 9428

The Drogo Sacramentary was commissioned by the illegitimate son of Charlemagne, Drogo, the bishop of Metz (826-55). The manuscript contains 41 historiated initials which depicting various scenes and foliage.

High Quality Color Facsimile with German Commentary
Pontifikale Gundekarianum
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (double oversize) -- BX1538.E53 P65 1987

Publication Date: Germany, 11th century

Eichstätt, Diocese of Eichstätt Archives, MS Codex B 4

The Pontifikale Gundekarianum is a liturgical book from the 11th century that was owned by the Bishop of Ghent and includes a history of the bishopric until 1697.

High Quality Color Facsimile with German Commentary
Sacramentario del Vescovo Warmondo di Ivrea
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- ND3370.5.I9 S23 1990

Publication Date: Italy, circa 966-1002

Ivrea, Biblioteca Capitolare Ivrea, MS 31 LXXXVI

High Quality Color Facsimile
Ostromirovo Evangelie
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare -- BX375.E8 A4 1056b

Publication Date: Russia, 1056-1057

Black and White and Some Color Facsimile
Vrachansko Evangele
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare -- PG703.B85 kn.4

Publication Date: Bulgaria

Black and White Partial Facsimile with Russian Commentary
Breviary of the Mayer van den Bergh
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare -- ND3365.M3 A23

Publication Date: Flanders, Circa 1500

The Breviary of Mayer van den Bergh is a liturgical book from about the year 1500 and is known for its Flemish style miniature painting. It contains the calendar, psalter, temporal prayers, and offices of the saints. It is written in Latin and Portuguese, and was probably made for a Portuguese patron.

High Quality Color Unbound Plates with English Commentary
The Sherborne Missal
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- ND3375.S5 B33 1999

Publication Date: England, 15th Century

London, British Library, Add. MS 74236

The Sherborne Missal is a clerical illuminated manuscript that contains the text and music for the Mass. It was made for St. Mary’s Abbey at Sherborne in the years surrounding the turn of the 15th century. It is unique in its lavishness, pictorial themes, and innovative subjects.

High Quality Color Partial Facsimile
The Benedictional of St. Æthelwold
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare -- ND3362.5.B46 2002

Publication Date: Probably Old Minster, Winchester, England, Mid to Late 10th Century

London, British Library, ADD MS 49598

The Benedictional of St. Aethelwold was made in the 10th century for the Bishop of Winchester. It contains the pontifical blessings for the ecclesiastical year and the Feast of the Purification. The manuscript is known for its lavish illumination in the distinct Winchester style.

High Quality Color Facsimile with English Commentary

Ashkenazi Haggadah
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- BM675.P4 Z5233 1985

Publication Date: Germany, circa 1460

London, British Library, MS Add. 14762

The Ashkenazi Haggadah is a Passover Haggadah in the German rite with a commentary by Eleazar of Worms. The script is Ashkenazi square and Ashkenazi semi-cursive. The manuscript is illuminated with miniatures, decorated initials, and marginal medallions.

High Quality Color Facsimile with English Introduction
Kaufmann Haggadah
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- Z115.H34 1957

Publication Date: Catalonia, Spain, 14th century

Budapest, Library and Information Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MS 422

The Kaufmann Haggadah is an illuminated Passover Haggadah from 14th-century Catalonia. Traces of children’s drawings indicates the probable ownership of the manuscript by a family and the potential role children played in the Passover rite.

High Quality Color Facsimile
Rylands Haggadah
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- BM675.P4 Z5265 1988b

Publication Date: Catalonia, Spain, circa 1330

Manchester, John Rylands University Library, MS Hebrew 6

The Rylands Haggadah was produced in 14th-century Catalonia. It contains numerous full-page miniatures and is an interesting example of Hebrew manuscript illumination in the Middle Ages.

High Quality Color Facsimile with English Introduction

Anglo-Catalan Psalter (Great Canterbury Psalter)
Call Number: Special Coll Vault (double oversize) -- ND3357.P745 2004 & Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- *oversize ND3357.C3J3

Publication Date: England, circa 1200 and Catalonia, Spain, circa 1340

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Latin 8846

The Anglo-Catalan Psalter was started in Canterbury around the year 1200 and finished in Catalonia much later, around the year 1340. It is connected to the line of psalters that copy the Utrecht Psalter, including the Harley Psalter and the Eadwine Psalter.

High Quality Color Facsimile with English Commentary
Black and White Facsimile with English Commentary
Bolonski Psaltir
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- BS1425.C4 1968

Publication Date: Bulgaria, 13th century

Black and White and Some Color Facsimile with Russian Introduction
Chludov Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Vault (oversize) -- ND3357.K48 S25 2007

Publication Date: Constantinople, 9th century

Moscow, State Historical Museum, MS. D.129

The Chludov Psalter is an illuminated marginal manuscript, likely made in Constantinople in the mid 9th century. It is unique in being one of three illuminated manuscripts to survive from the period of Iconoclasm. The Psalter contains 169 folios and follows the liturgy prescribed for Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. The marginal illuminations are polemical, particularly in the depictions of defeated iconoclasts.

High Quality Color Facsimile
Luttrell Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- ND3357.L8 L88 2006

Publication Date: England, circa 1320-40

London, British Library, Add. MS 42130

The Luttrell Psalter is a richly illuminated manuscript commissioned by Geoffrey Luttrell between 1320-1340, known for its bizarre marginalia and scenes of rural and biblical stories. The manuscript includes the psalms, calendar, canticles, Mass, and an antiphon for the dead.

High Quality Color Facsimile
Macclesfield Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- BX2033.A35 M33 2008

Publication Date: England, circa 1330

Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum

The Macclesfield Psalter is a manuscript from about 1320-30. It’s known for its ornately decorated pages and use of gold. The hands of many different artists have been identified in the manuscript, including the same scribe who created the Stowe Breviary and the Douai Psalter.

High Quality Color Facsimile with English Commentary
Psautier de Saint Louis
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- ND3357.S3 C3 1972

Publication Date: France, circa 1253-70

Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, MS lat. 10525

High Quality Color Facsimile
Ramsey Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Rare -- BX2033.A35 R36 2003

Publication Date: England, late 13th century

Lavanttal, Stiftsbibliothek St. Paul, Codex 58/1, and New York City, Pierpoint Morgan Library, Ms. M.302

High Quality Color Facsimile with German Commentary
St. Albans Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Vault (oversize) -- BS1425.L3 S73 2007

Publication Date: London, England, circa 1123-35

Hildesheim, Dombibliothek

The St. Albans Psalter is a lavish English manuscript with over forty full-page miniatures and the earliest example of French literature in the Chanson de St. Alexis. It was made at St. Albans Abbey and was possibly owned by Christina of Markyate.

High Quality Color Facsimile with English Commentary
Stuttgart Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- ND3357.S7 A3

Publication Date: France, circa 820-30

Stuttgart, Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek, MS Bibl. fol. 23

The Stuttgart Psalter is a 9th-century illuminated manuscript produced at the scriptorium at St. Germain-des-Prés. The manuscript contains 162 decorated initials and 316 images and is written in Carolingian minuscule.

Black and White Unbound Folios
Utrecht Psalter
Call Number: Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- BX2033.A35 U86 1982

Publication Date: Rheims, France, circa 820-40

Utrecht, Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht, MS 32

The Utrecht Psalter is one of the most famous manuscripts produced at Rheims, the best-known center for Carolingian book production. It’s many sketchy drawings harken back to classical and Byzantine art due to the many-figure compositions and narrative quality of the scenes. Scholars have termed the period in Frankish art when artists incorporated classical conventions as the “Carolingian Renaissance.”

High Quality Color Facsimile with German Commentary
Queen Mary Psalter
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- ND3357.Q8 W3

Publication Date: England, Probably London, 1310-1320

London, British Library, Royal MS 2 B.vii

The Queen Mary Psalter was made in the early 14th century for an unknown patron, but takes its name from Queen Mary I of England, to whom it was presented in the 16th century. The Psalter includes Old Testament scenes, a liturgical calendar, a bestiary, the life of Christ, and the Psalms. Many of the images pertain to childbearing and female figures, indicating that the first patron was possibly a woman.

Black and White Facsimile with English Introduction
The Paris Psalter
Call Number: FSU STROZIER, Special Coll Rare (oversize) -- PR1757.P7 1958

Publication Date: Byzantium, 10th Century

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS. gr. 139

The Paris Psalter is a Byzantine illuminated manuscript that contains 14 full-page miniatures and is considered a key work in the 10th century Macedonian Renaissance.

Black and White Facsimile with English Introduction

Additional Resources

The Practice of the Bible in the Middle Ages : Production, Reception & Performance in Western Christianity
Call Number: FSU STROZIER LIBRARY General Collection 2nd Floor -- BS538.7.P725 2011
Skies of Parchment, Seas of Ink : Jewish Illuminated Manuscripts
Call Number: FSU STROZIER LIBRARY General Collection 4th Floor -- ND2935.S59 2015