A calendar, computistical texts and tables, Expositio Hymnorum , canticles and poems
Description
This manuscript contains two discrete parts, which were joined
together in the medieval period. One part (ff. 2r–17v), copied in
the first half of the 11th century, includes a calendar and
computistical material. The second part (ff. 18r–80v) contains an
early version of the Expositio Hymnorum (An Exposition of the
Hymns)with an Old English gloss and canticles, copied in the
mid-11th century. A hymn and a poem on the liberal arts were added
in the late 11th century, and two 12th-century hands added a hymn
and extracts from the liturgy for Easter Sunday on blank and erased
folios. Contents:f. 1r: A paper folio with a parchment strip
describing the volume's contents in an early modern hand.ff.
2r–v: Computistical texts and tables.ff. 3r–8v: A metrical
calendar (a version of the text known as the Metrical Calendar of
Hampson), illustrated with the Labours of the Month and
astrological symbols. ff. 9r–17v: Further computistical texts,
tables, diagrams and a wheel linking months, lunar cycles and a T-O
map (f. 15r), including a 'Sator square' palindrome written in
Greek letters (f. 11r). ff. 18r–19v: A hymn beginning 'Assunt o
socii' and excerpts from the Easter Sunday liturgy, beginning 'Et
valde mane', were added in 12th-century hands to blank and erased
folios. ff. 19r–71r: An imperfect Expositio hymnorum with a
near-continuous Old English gloss. The text on f. 19r-v has been
erased, but some initials are still visible. ff. 71r-72v: Three
hymns for Trinity Sunday;ff. 72v-89v: Monastic canticles with an
Old English gloss. f. 90r–v: The hymn 'O genetrix aeterni' and a
fragment of the Latin poem beginning, 'Ad mensam philosophie
sitientes currite,' both accompanied by neumes, were added in the
last quarter of the 11th century.Decoration:Capitals in red, gold,
green and blue (ff. 2r–17v). Drawings of the Zodiac signs
associated with each month (ff. 2r–8v). Gold cross with the
letters OG and EN (f. 9v). Miniatures depicting various
agricultural and social activities, including:ploughing and sowing
(f. 3r); cutting vines (f. 3v); digging and sowing (f. 4r);
feasting (f. 4v); tending sheep (f. 5r); clearing and collecting
wood (f. 5v); mowing (f. 6r); harvesting (f. 6v); hunting and pigs
(f. 7r); hawking (f. 7v); smithing and fire (f. 8r); threshing (f.
8v).Neumes (ff. 18r–19r). Initials in red and green (ff.
20r–89v). Initial in red, yellow and green with foliate details,
a biting beast and interlace (f. 72v).
