Processional
F-fquk
Note from Otto Ege: "At important festival services such as Christmas and Easter these small hymnals were generally used by the laymen as they walked in procession to the various altars. Much of the material incorporated in the hymnals was based on folk melodies. Hymns, like the other chants of the Church, varied according to their place in the liturgy. Their melodies are frequently distinguished by a refrain which was sung at the beginning and at the end of each stanza.
The initial letter design of this leaf persisted with little or no change for a long period, but the simple pendant spear was used as a distinctive motif for not more than twenty-five years."
Important: Scott Gwara dates this as c.1525 (two centuries later than Ege who marked it as 14th century). Gwara also refers to this as a Processional rather than a Hymnal as Ege had marked it.
General Information
Northern Textualis
Original Condition
Thin Vellum
Current Condition
Minimal dirt on the edges. Rips visible on the gutter line where it was sewn. On verso tape is visible from Otto Ege's mounting.
Book Decoration and Musical Notation
Recto: The ink for the main text and the notes is a dark ink. A spear or javelin stands guard along the left margin in red and blue with white highlights and with gold ivy leaves. At the end of the first line there is a flower decoration under red text. The flower is gold and blue. All the staves are four line and red while the neumes are black. One big illuminated initial on this side measuring at 19 x 12 mm and using gold, blue, red, and white.
Verso: Only lyrics and neumes on four-line staves in red. No additional decor. Residual tape/glue visible on this side.
black square notation placed on four-line staves in red.
Bibliography
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Gwara, Scott. Otto Ege’s Manuscripts : A Study of Ege’s Manuscript Collections, Portfolios, and Retail Trade : With a Comprehensive Handlist of Manuscripts Collected or Sold. De Brailes Publishing, 2013.