Western Medieval Manuscripts : Christian liturgical palimpsest

Christian liturgical palimpsest (Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1879.14)

This fragment consists of eight unbound folios of a Christian liturgical palimpsest manuscript, whose original text dates to the 10th or 11th century, and the upper text which replaced it to the 13th or 14th century. The upper text is part of a hymn-book, accompanied by musical notation. Three of the present bifolios were made from single folios of one or more previous manuscripts, rotated at right-angles; the other bears text in the same orientation as the upper text, in a different hand and probably taken from a different original manuscript.

The bulk of the manuscript from which this folio comes is now St Petersburg, Rossijskaja Nacional'naja biblioteka, MS gr. 82, which is made up of palimpsest leaves from at least five different manuscripts. It is a compilation of multiple liturgical books, and this fragment straddles the junction between two of them, containing the end of a triodion (containing hymns for Lent and Easter) and the beginning of an oktoechos (containing weekly hymns organised according to eight musical modes). The original placement of this fragment in that manuscript can be established from the survival of a quire signature with the number 34, indicating that it comes last among the surviving portions of the palimpsest, as the last quire of the St Petersburg manuscript is numbered 33 (Tchernetska, 'Membra disiecta', pp. 120-124). Another fragment of the same manuscript is now MS Add. 1879.15.

Dr Christopher Wright

Information about this document

Physical Location: Cambridge University Library
Classmark: Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1879.14
Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 77965
Subject(s): Hymns, Greek
Language(s): Greek
Former Owner(s): Tischendorf, Constantin von, 1815-1874
Extent: Fragment (leaves) 8 Leaf height: 198 mm, width: 129 mm.
Material: Parchment, of medium thickness and quality.
Format: Codex
Condition: The upper and inner parts of the bifolios (in their orientation after conversion to a palimpsest) has been lost, with numerous tears and holes to the remainder. The bifolios of ff. 3-6 are separated into individual folios, and there are two small detached scraps of parchment. There is severe water damage, leaving the parchment soft and fragile, and causing extensive fading of the text.
Foliation:
The fragment is foliated with the numbers 1-8, in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.
Additions: The fragment is marked with the current classmark and the former classmark T.16.2.
Provenance: Owned by the Biblical scholar Constantin von Tischendorf (1815-1874).
Acquisition: Bought by the University Library from Tischendorf's executors 23 February 1876.
Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
Bibliography:
Tillyard, H.J.W., "Some Byzantine musical manuscripts at Cambridge", Annual of the British School at Athens 23 194-205 (1918).
Easterling, Patricia E., "Hand-list of the additional Greek manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge", Scriptorium 16 2 302-323 (1962).
Olivier, Jean-Marie, Répertoire des bibliothèques et des catalogues de manuscrits grecs, ed. Marcel Richard 3rd (Turnhout: Brepols, 1995).
Tchernetska, Natalie, "The Tischendorf Greek palimpsests", Appunti Romani di Filologia 2 107-126 (2000).
Tchernetska, Natalie, "Hand-list of the Greek palimpsests in Cambridge libraries", in Prato Giancarlo (ed.), I manoscritti greci tra riflessione e dibattito: Atti del V Colloquio Internazionale di Paleografia Greca (Cremona 4-10 ottobre 1998), Papyrologica Florentina 31 (Florence: Edizioni Gonnelli, 2000) 733-739.
Tchernetska, Natalie, "Membra disiecta Cantabrigiensa: two Tischendorf fragments identified", Scriptorium. Revue internationale des études relatives aux manuscrits 56 119-126 (2002).
Giannopoulos, Emmanouil St., Ta cheirographa byzantines mousikes Anglia = The manuscripts of Byzantine music: England (Athens: Institute of Byzantine Musicology, 2008).

Section shown in images 1 to 10

Classmark: Lower text
Title: Unidentified
Date of Creation: second half of the 10th or the 11th century
Format: Codex
Script:
The lower text of ff. 1r-2v, 4r-5v, 7r-8v was copied by Hand A, in an upright mixed minuscule Perlschrift in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size. Breathings are round.
The lower text of ff. 3r-3v, 6r-6v was copied by Hand B, in an upright mixed minuscule script in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size. Breathings are round. Punctuation used includes the middle point.
Layout: ff. 1r-2v, 4r-5v, 7r-8v A single column of 30 lines, perpendicular to the upper text. Written height: c. 208 mm, width: 155 mm. Pricking does not survive.Ruled in hardpoint. Text hangs from the lines. ff. 3r-3v, 6r-6v A single column of 26 surviving lines, parallel to the upper text. The original dimensions can be conjectured to be equivalent to those for the folios that survive more fully: Written height: c. 208 mm, width: c. 155 mm. Pricking does not survive.Ruled in hardpoint. Text hangs from the lines.
Origin: The original manuscript from which this leaf comes was probably copied in the second half of the 10th or the 11th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Section shown in images 1 to 1

Title: Upper text
Date of Creation: 13th or 14th century
Collation: A quire signature in Greek numerals, in brown ink, survives in the lower right-hand corner of f. 2r, identifying the quire number as 34 (λδʹ).
Format: Codex
Script:
The upper text was copied by Hand C, in mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size. The text is unevenly written, probably due to the lack of ruling.
Syllabic abbreviations appear througout the line. Breathings and accents are not in use. Mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot.
Iota appears in an unusual form, with a pronounced blob at the top and sometimes bent in the middle towards the right. Majuscule omega commonly appears with the loops joined by a long horizontal line at the base, sometimes slanting slightly downwards to the right. Horizontals joining letters are sometimes elongated.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.
Headings are written in a similar style in red ink, with greater variation in letter size.
Music notation: The text is accompanied by Round notation in brown ink, with intonation signs in red ink.
Layout: A single column of 20 lines. Written height: 152 mm, width: 90 mm. There is no ruling for the upper text.
Decoration: Hymns begin with minor initials in red ink.
Origin: The manuscript was probably converted into a palimpsest in the 13th or 14th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Section shown in images 1 to 1

Title: Triodion
Note(s): Fragment: begins during the penultimate hymn
Excerpts:
Incipit: f. 1r προς
Explicit: f. 1r τας ψυχας ημων
Final Rubric: f. 1r Τέλος τοῦ τριωδίου· καὶ ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁγδοήκοντα

Section shown in images 1 to 1

Title: Oktoechos
Note(s): Fragment: ends during a hymn for Sunday vespers
Excerpts:
Rubric: f. 1r Τέλος τοῦ τριωδίου· καὶ ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁγδοήκοντα
Incipit: f. 1r Ευφρανθηται ουρανοι σαλπισατι(!)
Explicit: f. 8v και σωζον τους δοξαζοντας ευπλανγκνε

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Lower text: Unidentified (image 1, page 8v/1r) Upper text: Triodion (image 1, page 8v/1r) Triodion (image 1, page 8v/1r) Oktoechos (image 1, page 8v/1r)

Information about this document

Physical Location: Cambridge University Library
Classmark: Cambridge, University Library, MS Add. 1879.14
Alternative Identifier(s): Diktyon 77965
Subject(s): Hymns, Greek
Language(s): Greek
Former Owner(s): Tischendorf, Constantin von, 1815-1874
Extent: Fragment (leaves) 8 Leaf height: 198 mm, width: 129 mm.
Material: Parchment, of medium thickness and quality.
Format: Codex
Condition: The upper and inner parts of the bifolios (in their orientation after conversion to a palimpsest) has been lost, with numerous tears and holes to the remainder. The bifolios of ff. 3-6 are separated into individual folios, and there are two small detached scraps of parchment. There is severe water damage, leaving the parchment soft and fragile, and causing extensive fading of the text.
Foliation:
The fragment is foliated with the numbers 1-8, in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right.
Additions: The fragment is marked with the current classmark and the former classmark T.16.2.
Provenance: Owned by the Biblical scholar Constantin von Tischendorf (1815-1874).
Acquisition: Bought by the University Library from Tischendorf's executors 23 February 1876.
Funding: The Polonsky Foundation
Author(s) of the Record: Christopher Wright
Bibliography:
Tillyard, H.J.W., "Some Byzantine musical manuscripts at Cambridge", Annual of the British School at Athens 23 194-205 (1918).
Easterling, Patricia E., "Hand-list of the additional Greek manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge", Scriptorium 16 2 302-323 (1962).
Olivier, Jean-Marie, Répertoire des bibliothèques et des catalogues de manuscrits grecs, ed. Marcel Richard 3rd (Turnhout: Brepols, 1995).
Tchernetska, Natalie, "The Tischendorf Greek palimpsests", Appunti Romani di Filologia 2 107-126 (2000).
Tchernetska, Natalie, "Hand-list of the Greek palimpsests in Cambridge libraries", in Prato Giancarlo (ed.), I manoscritti greci tra riflessione e dibattito: Atti del V Colloquio Internazionale di Paleografia Greca (Cremona 4-10 ottobre 1998), Papyrologica Florentina 31 (Florence: Edizioni Gonnelli, 2000) 733-739.
Tchernetska, Natalie, "Membra disiecta Cantabrigiensa: two Tischendorf fragments identified", Scriptorium. Revue internationale des études relatives aux manuscrits 56 119-126 (2002).
Giannopoulos, Emmanouil St., Ta cheirographa byzantines mousikes Anglia = The manuscripts of Byzantine music: England (Athens: Institute of Byzantine Musicology, 2008).

Section shown in images 1 to 10

Classmark: Lower text
Title: Unidentified
Date of Creation: second half of the 10th or the 11th century
Format: Codex
Script:
The lower text of ff. 1r-2v, 4r-5v, 7r-8v was copied by Hand A, in an upright mixed minuscule Perlschrift in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size. Breathings are round.
The lower text of ff. 3r-3v, 6r-6v was copied by Hand B, in an upright mixed minuscule script in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size. Breathings are round. Punctuation used includes the middle point.
Layout: ff. 1r-2v, 4r-5v, 7r-8v A single column of 30 lines, perpendicular to the upper text. Written height: c. 208 mm, width: 155 mm. Pricking does not survive.Ruled in hardpoint. Text hangs from the lines. ff. 3r-3v, 6r-6v A single column of 26 surviving lines, parallel to the upper text. The original dimensions can be conjectured to be equivalent to those for the folios that survive more fully: Written height: c. 208 mm, width: c. 155 mm. Pricking does not survive.Ruled in hardpoint. Text hangs from the lines.
Origin: The original manuscript from which this leaf comes was probably copied in the second half of the 10th or the 11th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Section shown in images 1 to 1

Title: Upper text
Date of Creation: 13th or 14th century
Collation: A quire signature in Greek numerals, in brown ink, survives in the lower right-hand corner of f. 2r, identifying the quire number as 34 (λδʹ).
Format: Codex
Script:
The upper text was copied by Hand C, in mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, in brown ink, with minimal variation in letter size. The text is unevenly written, probably due to the lack of ruling.
Syllabic abbreviations appear througout the line. Breathings and accents are not in use. Mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot.
Iota appears in an unusual form, with a pronounced blob at the top and sometimes bent in the middle towards the right. Majuscule omega commonly appears with the loops joined by a long horizontal line at the base, sometimes slanting slightly downwards to the right. Horizontals joining letters are sometimes elongated.
Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.
Headings are written in a similar style in red ink, with greater variation in letter size.
Music notation: The text is accompanied by Round notation in brown ink, with intonation signs in red ink.
Layout: A single column of 20 lines. Written height: 152 mm, width: 90 mm. There is no ruling for the upper text.
Decoration: Hymns begin with minor initials in red ink.
Origin: The manuscript was probably converted into a palimpsest in the 13th or 14th century, as suggested by the style of script.

Section shown in images 1 to 1

Title: Triodion
Note(s): Fragment: begins during the penultimate hymn
Excerpts:
Incipit: f. 1r προς
Explicit: f. 1r τας ψυχας ημων
Final Rubric: f. 1r Τέλος τοῦ τριωδίου· καὶ ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁγδοήκοντα

Section shown in images 1 to 1

Title: Oktoechos
Note(s): Fragment: ends during a hymn for Sunday vespers
Excerpts:
Rubric: f. 1r Τέλος τοῦ τριωδίου· καὶ ἀρχὴ τῶν ὁγδοήκοντα
Incipit: f. 1r Ευφρανθηται ουρανοι σαλπισατι(!)
Explicit: f. 8v και σωζον τους δοξαζοντας ευπλανγκνε