Dombibliothek Hildesheim The Albani Psalter Commentary by Jochen Bepler, Hildesheim Peter Kidd, London Jane Geddes, Aberdeen Concept, design and production © 2008 Verlag Müller & Schindler, Simbach am Inn, Germany TABLE OF CONTENTS Norbert Trelle, Bishop of Hildesheim FOREWORD . 10 Rt Revd Christopher Herbert, Bishop of St Albans FOREWORD . 11 Jochen Bepler THE CREATING AND BREAKING OF TRADITIONS On the historic context of the St Albans Psalter in Hildesheim I St Godehard . 13 II The monastery of the Saints Adrian and Denis in Lamspringe . 14 III The Bursfeld Congregation . 15 IV The 16th century – the Reformation Period . 16 V The Thirty Years’ War . 18 VI The English Congregation . 18 VII Conflict about the abbot of Lamspringe . 21 VIII The St Albans Psalter in St Godehard . 23 IX The secularisation of 1803 . 24 X The monastic libraries . 25 XI Bibliography . 32 Peter Kidd CONTENTS AND CODICOLOGY I Introduction . 41 I.1 The Albani Psalter . 41 I.1.1 Arrangement of this Commentary . 42 I.1.2 Christina of Markyate . 44 I.1.3 Geoffrey de Gorron . 46 I.1.4 Previous Scholarship . 47 I.2 Manuscript Psalters . 48 I.2.1 The Psalms . 48 I.2.2 Different Versions of the Psalms . 49 I.2.3 Numbering of the Psalms . 49 I.2.4 The Titles of the Psalms . 50 I.2.5 What is a Manuscript Psalter? . 50 I.2.6 The Divisions of the Text in Manuscript Psalters . 51 I.2.7 Calendars . 52 I.2.8 Canticles . 54 5 I.2.9 Litany of Saints . 55 I.2.10 Petitions . 55 I.2.11 Prayers . 56 I.2.12 Collects . 56 I.2.13 How to Localise a Manuscript Psalter . 56 I.2.13a Calendars . 57 I.2.13b Litanies . 58 I.2.14 How to Date a Manuscript Psalter . 59 I.2.15 The Decoration of Manuscript Psalters . 60 I.2.16 Collation . 60 I.2.17 Determining the Sequence of Production . 61 II The Parts of the Manuscript . 62 II.1 Calendar and Computistical Material . 62 II.1.1 Contents . 62 II.1.2 The Original Feast Days . 63 II.1.3 The ‘O Sapientia’ Neumes . 64 II.1.4 The Verses on the Egyptian Days . 65 II.1.5 The Added Obit of Roger the Hermit . 66 II.1.6 Two Further Additions . 66 II.1.7 The Main Group of Added Feast Days . 67 II.1.8 The Main Group of Added Obits . 68 II.1.9 The Codicology of the Calendar . 69 II.2 The Prefatory Miniature-Cycle . 71 II.2.1 Planning and Layout . 73 II.2.2 Sequence of Production . 74 II.2.3 Textile Curtains . 75 II.2.4 Iconographic Sources . 75 II.3 The Alexis Quire . 78 II.3.1 The Alexis Chanson . 78 II.3.2 The Prologue to the Chanson . 80 II.3.3 Main Text . 81 II.3.4 St Gregory’s Dictum on the Use of Images . 81 II.3.5 The Emmaus Miniatures . 82 II.3.6 The Discourse on Spiritual Battle . 84 II.3.7 The Beatus Initial . 85 II.3.8 The Sequence of Production . 86 II.3.8a The Prologue and Alexis Chanson . 86 II.3.8b The Emmaus Miniatures . 87 II.3.8c The St Gregory Texts . 88 II.3.8d The Beatus Initial . 88 II.3.8e Foliate Lettering . 89 II.3.8f The Battling Knights and Their Text . 90 II.3.9 The Incorporation of the Alexis Quire in the Albani Psalter . 90 II.3.10 Summary . 91 6 II.4 Psalms, Litany, and Other Prayers . 91 II.4.1 Psalms . 91 II.4.1a Versification . 92 II.4.1b Scribal Planning for the Initials . 93 II.4.1c Psalm Titles and Incipits . 94 II.4.1d The Added Rubrics: Placement . 95 II.4.1e The Added Rubrics: Content . 96 II.4.2 Canticles, Creeds, and Other Prayers . 97 II.4.3 Litany of Saints . 98 II.4.4 Petitions and the Following Prayers . 99 II.4.4a Collects . 99 II.4.4b Adaptations for Male or Female Readers . 99 II.4.5 The Mid-Point of the Psalms? . 100 II.4.6 Parchment and Ruling . 100 II.4.7 Coloured Lettering . 102 II.4.8 Curtains . 103 II.4.9 Missing Leaves and Cuttings . 103 II.5 The Initial to Psalm 105 . 104 II.5.1 The Problem . 104 II.5.2 Possible Explanations . 104 II.5.3 Physical Evidence . 105 II.5.4 Decorative Evidence . 106 II.5.5 The Initial to Psalm 105 as a Turning-Point . 106 II.5.6 A Memorial to Christina? . 108 II.6 The Litany Image . 108 II.7 Miniatures of St Alban and King David . 109 II.7.1 The Original Arrangement of the Diptych . 111 II.8 The Replaced Psalms Bifolium . 111 II.8.1 The Text of the Bifolium . ..