The surviving portions of the first volume of The Orrmulum. It
contains biblical narratives and homilies. An incomplete list of
pericopes, between Orrm's Dedication and Preface, shows that at
least 242 biblical narratives, each followed by a homily, were
planned. The manuscript is Orrm's autograph, and contains numerous
insertions, deletions and revisions in his hand. The manuscript is
extremely lacunose.
Extent: [i] + ii + 117 + [i]. The front and endleaf are unnumbered
modern paper flyleaves. Fols. 1, 2 comprise a bifolium bearing
thirteenth-century writing and are not necessarily an integral part
of the codex. Fols. 3-118, [119] constitute the manuscript proper.
500 × 200 mm.
Layout: The original leaves are generally in two columns. The
number of lines per page varies significantly, though there are
usually between 50 and 70.
Hand: The main text and the bulk of the revisions are in Orrm's
hand; a second hand (known as Hand C) added the Latin pericope at
the beginning of each homily, and made a few English additions
(e.g. fols. 43r, 62r, 67v). Thoroughly and repeatedly corrected by
Orrm himself. Corrections often made by superposed letters. English
written in an unusual, heavy, cramped English Vernacular
minuscule.
Decoration: Multiple-line unadorned monochrome initials open most
homilies. These are mostly in black, but there are several in
green.
Binding: Bound in modern pulp boards. The binding probably
postdates the significant losses the manuscript suffered after
Junius had numbered the columns. Sewn on six thongs, spine
uncovered. Paper pastedowns at front and back.
Provenance: Malcolm Parkes has suggested Orrm wrote the text at the
Augustinian Abbey of Bourne in Lincolnshire. Acquired in 1659 by
Jan van Vliet (fol. 2); lot 107 in the sale of his library, 1666.
Probably purchased at that sale by Franciscus Junius. Entered the
Bodleian with Junius's manuscripts in 1678.
