Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library: A Select Catalogue

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The liturgical psalter is one of the most important medieval Christian books and the most frequently and richly illuminated of medieval liturgical manuscripts. In its simplest form the psalter included 150 psalms, preceded by a calendar and followed by the canticles for the daily offices, the litany of saints and collects. This basic structure was very stable throughout the Middle Ages and is found in an overwhelming majority of psalters from different countries. In spite of the similarity of core content, psalters were very variable in their size, decoration, choice of supplementary texts and style of presentation, reflecting the interests and requirements of a wide range of lay and religious patrons. Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library contains descriptions of 111 psalters from Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain, ranging in date from the ninth to the sixteenth century. Each entry includes a description of contents, decoration, physical makeup and provenance, together with a bibliography. The entries are supplemented by comparative tables and indices to assist the study of illumination, manuscript presentation and the liturgical use of the psalms. Full colour images of pages from each of the manuscripts are also included, some of which are reproduced here for the first time. This catalogue brings together important information on a stunning selection of manuscripts held in the Bodleian Library, providing an invaluable resource for scholars.

Reviews

'This is a splendid catalog. . . . Solopova is particularly to be congratulated for the precise and careful details she gives enumerating the many textual differences among the psalters and their range of purpose and usage. Important, excellent, and extremely helpful, . . . the impeccable entries demonstrate just how carefully and intelligently this catalog was developed and produced.' -- M. J. Toswell * Speculum *
'This is a publication to be celebrated for its inspired vision and rigorous scholarship. . . . The introduction is succinct and lucid, and it provides a useful starting point for anyone new to the study of medieval psalters. . . . [But] the greatest achievement of this catalogue is the detailed yet manageable descriptions of the manuscripts. Many of the articles amount to scholarly articles, with the depth and breadth of research rarely matched.' * TLS *

Author Bio

Elizabeth Solopova is a research fellow in the Faculty of English, University of Oxford, and William Golding Research Fellow at Brasenose College, Oxford.