Psalter with Anglo-Saxon gloss ('Codex Vossianus' or the 'Junius Psalter'); England (Winchester?), 10th century, first half

Title

Psalter with Anglo-Saxon gloss ('Codex Vossianus' or the 'Junius Psalter'); England (Winchester?), 10th century, first half

Shelfmark

MS. Junius 27

Date

10th century, first half

Language

Old English (ca. 450-1100)

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

parchment; fols. 1 and 150 are paper leaves, 17th century; fols. 2–8 are mutilated and repaired with paper

Physical extent

150 leaves Leaves were trimmed in rebinding and sometimes decoration (e.g. fol. 88r), and possibly text, such as the psalm numbers, was partly lost.

Hands

Square Anglo-Saxon minuscule; brown ink. ‘The Latin text is in a rather stiff square Anglo-Saxon minuscule, resembling that in the Parker chronicle, fols. 16v– 25v. The OE is in much smaller script, but may be by the same hand’ (Ker, 1957, p. 409). The Latin hand closely resembles that of two other manuscripts attributed by Ker to Winchester, the ‘Tollemache Orosius’ and the Læceboc, London, British Library, Royal MS. 12 D. XVII (Campbell, 1953, pp. 16–17), as well as that of the metrical calendar added to the ‘Æthelstan Psalter’ (Parkes, 1976).

Decoration

Calendar months start with elaborate KL monograms decorated with interlace, acanthus leaves, animal figures and heads.

Large 5-line illuminated initials (or evidence for their original presence) and capitals for part or whole of the first line at psalms 1 (leaf cut out), 17 (fol. 20r), 26 (fol. 29v), 38 (fol. 43r), 51 (fol. 55r, cut out), 52 (fol. 55v), 68 (leaf cut out, stub after fol. 67), 72 (fol. 72v), 80 (fol. 84r, cut out), 97 (fol. 100r), 101 (fol. 102v), 109 (fol. 118r, seven lines high), 118 (fol. 124v), 119 (fol. 134r). 2- to 5-line illuminated initials at the beginning of other psalms and at subdivisions within psalm 118. Simple 1- to 2-line initials highlighted in different colours at the beginnings of verses. The initials are decorated with interlace, acanthus leaves and other plant motifs, animal and human figures. Typically the body of the letter consists of animal and vegetable details merging into one another. The arrangement is usually asymmetrical, without background or frame. Animal figures include winged dragons, birds, beasts, snakes, biting bird and animal heads and mask heads. Human figures include halffigures and heads, with half-figures placed in the loops of plainer frame-like initials. The figures are usually half-turned to the right or left with brown hair and draped clothes; some have halos; several hold a book or a scroll, or have a hand raised in a gesture of blessing. There is a tonsured half-figure with a hand raised in blessing at psalm 108 (fol. 115v). Initial D at psalm 109 (fol. 118r) is decorated with geometric and floral designs, and two birds’ heads; inside its loop is David pulling apart the jaws of a lion. According to Wormald (1984, p. 57) the initials may be the work of the artist who also executed the initials at the beginnings of the first five books in the ‘Tollemache Orosius’ (London, British Library, Add. MS. 47967). According to Temple (1976, p. 39) the decoration can be attributed to Winchester because of its similarity with London, British Library, Cotton MS. Galba A. xviii, and Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. B. 484, fol. 85 (‘Æthelstan Psalter’).

Psalm numbers and titles are in red; verse initials are partly filled with colour

Binding

Parchment over pasteboard, 17th century; double blind fillet lines round the edges of both covers; evidence of two tawed leather ties now lost. Inscribed on spine in brown ink: ‘Psalterium Latino Saxonicum MS’; ‘27’; ‘III 3’(?). Inscribed in brown ink above the centre of the front cover: ‘9’. Evidence of a small square (Bodleian) label on spine, now lost. Sewn on four cords. Three medieval (?) tawed leather bookmarks attached to each other at the top by pink sewing.

Acquisition

Bodleian Library: bequeathed by Junius in 1677. Earlier shelfmark: ‘Arch. F. d. 19’ (upper pastedown); also known as ‘Codex Vossianus’ and ‘Junius Psalter’. Notes on the upper pastedown detail the mutilations, dated 1890.

Provenance

Made at, and for use in (?), Winchester: evidence of the calendar, script and decoration. Made for a secular church (subdivisions within psalms are not indicated, psalm 118 subdivided in accordance with secular use) or possibly for a lay patron (the calendar is minimal and partially metrical). MLGB3lists under Winchester, Hampshire, Benedictine cathedral priory of St Peter, St Paul, and St Swithun .

On the Continent by the 12th century, second half (?): text on fols. 8r–9v and 117v is in Continental hands from the second half of the 12th century.

Queen Christina of Sweden (1626–1689) : recorded in the Antwerp catalogue of her collection, 1655 (now Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. D’Orville 42, p. 12), as ‘Davidicum Psalterium . . . Latino Saxonicum’ (cf. spine inscription). Manuscripts in the D’Orville catalogue were acquired for Christina in 1650 by Alexander Petau.

Isaac Vossius (1618–1689) , librarian of Queen Christina: received from her.

Francis Junius (1591–1677) , see ODNB: received from his nephew Isaac Vossius in 1665. Numbers ‘9’ (fol. 1v), ‘B. 19’ (fol. 1r) and ‘170’ (fol. 3r), brown ink, 17th century.

Title

The Latin Psalter

Shelfmark

MS. Junius 27

Summary

The Latin Psalter, with interlinear translation in Old English, known as Codex Vossianus, lacking fol. 1 and ending abruptly in Ps. cxlii. The psalms were originally divided into groups at Pss. (i), xxxviii, li, lii, (lxviii), lxxx, xcvii, ci, cix, cxix, marked by the use of capitals for the whole of the first line. Pss. xxvi, cxviii also have fine initials. It is preceded by a mutilated Winchester calendar (fol. 2) which contains the obits of king Alfred (d. 901) and his wife Ealswith (d. 905) and some metrical entries, for which see Edmund Bishop, Liturgica Historica, p. 256, and New Pal. Soc., 2nd ser., pl. 62. On fol. 7v are some liturgical formulae (11-12th cent.) and on fols. 8, 9 some mathematical tables.

Leaves are wanting before fols. 10, 68, and many are mutilated (Pss. xxv, xxxix, xliv, 1, lxxvii, lxxx, cxl lack initials).

Date

Written in the 10th century at Winchester

Language

Multiple languages

Old English (ca. 450-1100)

Latin

Physical facet

With illuminated grotesque initials; binding, 17th-cent. white parchment

Physical extent

150 Leaves

Custodial history

Formerly owned by Isaac Vossius, who gave it to his uncle Junius.