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Eclipse calendar

Lunar and solar eclipses visible from central and northern Germany for 1436-1440

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Frauenfeld, Kantonsbibliothek Thurgau, FRG Y 229

Fergus Bovill and William Duba 2025 (Born Digital)

Remarks by the Editor

The digitisation and analysis of this fragment was generously supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. 

This description benefits from the description of the host volume and observations on the fragment made by Pauline Jacsont as part of the forthcoming Catalogue of manuscripts in the Cantonal Library of Thurgau. We thank Ms. Jacsont and the other authors of the catalogue for their generous collaboration.

General Information

Title Eclipse calendar
Shelfmarks Frauenfeld, Kantonsbibliothek Thurgau, FRG Y 229
Material Paper
Place of Origin Germany (between Würzburg and Bremen)
Date of Origin first half, 15th century
Script, Hands

A hybrid script written by a single hand.

Original Condition

Ruling in ink
More about the Condition

Only one leaf of the bifolium has been ruled, and it has been written on the recto side only.

Current Condition

Extent 1 bifolium
Dimensions 289 x 190 mm
More about the Current Condition

The bifolium was used as the front flyleaf in the host volume.

Book Decoration and Musical Notation

Description

Six diagrams in black ink illustrating solar eclipses. 

Content

  • Content Item
    • Text Language German
    • Content Description
      The single written side contains a table with five columns (I-V). For each entry, there are five rows (A-E) on columns I-III.
      The arrangement of each entry is:
      • I. Dating
        • A: Blank
        • B: Year in Arabic numerals or In dem selben Jar
        • C: Month in Latin (e.g., In februario)
        • D: Day in relation to the sanctorale (continuing to the right of the table)
        • E: The word Werrung
      • II.C-A, written sideways, the word Stund
      • III.C-A, written sideways, the word Minuten
      • IV. a drawing showing full (in the first case) and partial eclipses.
      • V. written sideways, the word Mon appears in the first and fourth entries.

      The entries are:

      1. 1436, October 24 (feast of St. Columbans) (Mon)
      2. 1437, April 5 (day after St. Ambrose)
      3. 1438, September 19 (day after St. Lambert)
      4. 1439, February 28 (day before St. Albine) (Mon)
      5. 1439, September 8 (Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin)
      6. 1440, February 1 (day before candlemas)
      From Fred Espenak's eclipse website, adjusted for the German-speaking region:
      1. A total lunar eclipse occurred in what we would consider predawn October 25, 1436
      2. An annular solar eclipse, partially visible (ca. .62 magnitude) occurred just before sunset on April 5, 1437
      3. An annular solar eclipse, partially visible (ca. .42) occurred mid-day on September 19, 1438
      4. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred in the night between February 28 and March 1, 1439
      5. A partial solar eclipse, visible (ca. .20 magnitude) occurred at sunset on September 8, 1439
      6. A total solar eclipse, partially visible (ca. .7 magnitude) occurred in the afternoon of February 3, 1440.
      The error in #6 could be explained by the correction of the error in #2. In #2, the scribe originally wrote An dem nächsten tag nach Ambrosy (=April 7), and then crossed out the nach and insterted vor above. Likely, the scribe committed the converse vor/nach inversion.
      The blank fields below Stund and minuten and on the row with Werrung suggest that the observer was to complete the from by recording when, exactly, the eclipse occurred.
      The date of October 24 for St. Columban is unusual; Grotefend claims that November 21 is the date used in the Lake Constance area. For October 24, he gives: "Bremen (ep.), Brixen (neben November 23), Kammin (ep.), Mainz (auch November 21), Worms (ebenso), Würzburg".
    • front

History

Origin

Central/Northern Germany, on the basis of the feast of St. Columbans falling on 24 October.

Provenance

Church of St. Verena, Kehlen; Kreuzlingen (?) (See Host Volume)

Host Volume

Title Graduale
Date of Origin/Publication second/third quarter of the fourteenth century
Place of Origin/Publication Diocese of Constance
Shelfmark Y 229
Page/Folio Reference: Frauenfeld, Kantonsbibliothek Thurgau, Y 229
Remarks
  1. Y 229 has been rebound. In addition to this fragment, the remainder of the binding (wooden board, metal clasps, paper pastedowns with ownership marks) are preserved as FRG Y 229/Beil.002. Jacsont further observers that the ownership marks indicate that the host volume was owned by the Church of St. Verena in Kehlen, a dependence of the Abbey of Kreuzlingen, suggesting that it entered the Cantonal Library in 1848. The manuscript appears in the catalogue of 1912.

Bibliography

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