MS. Bodl. Rolls 26

Summary Catalogue no.: 3115

Written in blood (?). The greater part of the content is written lengthwise on the roll in a long line, between two rows of magical symbols, pentacles and crosses

(membranes 1-4)

An image of the three nails of the Crucifixion followed by text that is unreadable apart from an invocation of the Trinity

(membranes 5-9)

A list of divine names interspersed with crosses, beginning 'messias', 'sother', 'emanuel', 'sabaoth', 'adonay'

(membranes 9-12)

Verses from John i.1–14

(membranes 13–15)

The Pater Noster in Greek, written in Latin characters

Don C. Skemer argues that the roll was used as a 'birthing girdle' and that its thin, ribbon-like format would have made it easy to wrap around a pregnant woman’s abdomen or leg (Binding Words: Textual Amulets in the Middle Ages [Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006], p. 260; see also Daniel Wakelin, Designing English: Early Literature on the Page [Bodleian Library, 2018], p. 485 and n. 885)

Although the roll contains no direct references to either childbirth or women, Skemer posits that its wards of general protection were enough for it to be regarded as an amulet to assist childbirth (Binding Words: Textual Amulets in the Middle Ages, p. 260). Going further than this, Mary Agnes Edsall suggests that the roll was never an object for reading but an 'imagetextobject' where the material support and the visual combination of words and images signified supernatural power ('Arma Christi Rolls or Textual Amulets? The Narrow Roll Format Manuscripts of "O Vernicle"', Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft> 9 [2014], p. 201)

Language(s): Latin and Greek

Physical Description

Form: roll

Support: parchment

Extent: Made up of fifteen membranes, one of which is modern

Dimensions (roll): 384 × 1.5 in.

Condition

The roll is stained and rubbed from heavy physical use and the text is so faded as to be almost illegible. Don C. Skemer speculates that the dozen or so irregular brownish spots on the roll may be congealed blood from its role as an amulet duing childbirth. After use, Skemer suggests that the roll was washed in water, which explains the loss of text (Binding Words: Textual Amulets in the Middle Ages [Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006], pp. 260-261)

Binding

Kept in a cloth box, 2.125" x 3" x 2.25"

History

Origin: 16th century ; England

Provenance and Acquisition

Came into the Library before 1680

Record Sources

Description adapted (March 2025) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1905), with additional reference to published literature as cited

Summary Catalogue, vol. 2, part 1, p. 590

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2025-03-20: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1905)

A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges