Evangelistarium (Rps 3311 I)
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| Evangelistarium | |
|---|---|
| National Library of Poland | |
.jpg) | |
| Type | codex, evangelistary |
| Date | 11th century |
| Language(s) | Latin |
| Size | 15,5x10 cm, 151 leaves |
| Accession | Rps 3311 I[1] |
Evangelistarium (The Lectionary) is the oldest hand-written lectionary in Polish libraries from 11th century.[2]
The manuscript was written around the A. D. 1000, but a few of the ornaments having been added in the second quarter of the 11th century.[3] Some have argued that it was written in the borderlands of France and Flanders, as indicated by the West Frankish and Anglo-Saxon influences seen in its ornamentation.[2] However, the consensus of historians of early medieval England is that it is the product of an English scriptorium.[4][5] The history of The Lectionary is unknown.[3] It was probably purchased in 18th century for the Załuski Library, the first Polish National Library.[3][2] After the Kościuszko Insurrection the codex was carried away to St. Petersburg together with the collections of the Załuski Library.[3] Under the terms of the Treaty of Riga (1921), it was returned and placed in the National Library of Poland.[2] In 1939, as a reaction to the beginning of World War II it was evacuated to Canada, from where it returned with other treasures in 1959.[3] From May 2024, the manuscript is presented at the permanent exhibition in the Palace of the Commonwealth.[6][2]
The manuscript is a combination of an evangelium and an evangelistary.[3] The first part contains readings for the Mass in Biblical order, followed by Gospel readings arranged in the order of the liturgical year.[3] The manuscript consists of 151 pages, measuring 15,5x10 cm.[1] It contains three full-page miniatures with images of the Evangelists and initials with plant and animal motifs.[2][3] A 2016 article noted that the manuscript contains musical notation (neumes) at folios 17v and 38r as well as litterae significativae in the passion narratives from Matthew and Luke.[7] In older literature the manuscript, now described as an evangelistarium, was identified as a lectionary.[1]
