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

MS. Germ. g. 1

Summary Catalogue no.: 30050

Prayer book with calendar and Short Hours of the Cross, in German; Germany (Aachen), 1495

Contents

Language(s): German with a little Latin

1. (fols. 4v–5r)

Table for determining the days of the week in any year of the Metonic cycle

Double-page opening consisting of (verso) two circular diagrams, the upper one with 1–19 around the edge, the lower one with the dominical letters a–g; facing (recto) a table with 19 rows numbered 1–19, and 7 columns headed A–G. In the lower diagram the number ‘96’ has been written next to the pair of dominical letters ‘c’ (inner ring, for ordinary years) and ‘b’ (outer ring, for leap years); these are the dominical letters for the leap year 1496, the first full year after the completion of the writing of the manuscript.

2. (fols. 6r–14v)
Calendar

Ungraded; major feasts (in red) include ‘S. Karl keyser’, i.e. Charlemagne, buried at Aachen (28 Jan. and 27 July), Servatius, of Tongeren (13 May), Lambert, of Maastricht and Liège (17 Sept.).

Each month is headed by a note on the number of days, e.g. ‘Der haerd moent hait xxxi daeghe’ (the other months are ‘spurkille’, ‘meirtzs’, ‘aprille’, ‘mey’, ‘brae’ [sic for ‘brac’], ‘heu’, ‘aust’, ‘even’, ‘herffst’, ‘slaich’, and ‘advent’ maent/moent), and including notes on the length in hours of day and night e.g. ‘der daich ix vren lanth. die naicht .xv’.

Ending with a note in Latin on the Ember Days: ‘Post crux. Post cineris. Post spiritus. Postque Lucye. Quarta sequens feria. semper ieiunabitur illa’.

3. (fols. 15r–20v)
Short Hours of the Cross (tr. Gerard Groote)
Rubric: Dit synt die gezcijde van den hilghen crůce. Pater noster.
Incipit: Heirre dů sals up doen myne lippen. Inde mijn mout sal vort kundygen dynen loff
Explicit: inde regneirs ewelich eyn got sonder ende. Amen.
Colophon: 1495. Viti etc.
Het getijdenboek van Geert Grote, ed. N. van Wijk (Leiden, 1940), 87-91
4. (fols. 21r–22v)
The Prayer of St Gregory (‘Adoro te in cruce pendentem’)
Rubric: Pater noster etc.
Incipit: O Herere[sic] Ihesu Christe ich anbeden dich an den cruce hangende
Explicit: De dae leyffs inde regneirs ewelich eyn got sonder ende. Amen.
Final rubric: Item yt is zu wissen. dat der hilge paess synt Gregorius. allen menschen die in den staet der genaeden synt … gegeven hait xiiij dussent iare afflaes. … Item paess Sixtus der veyrde. hait noch zcey.

A series of nine prayers, the first seven each beginning ‘O heirre … cruce’ as above.

Cf. M. Meertens, De godsvrucht in de Nederlanden naar handschriften van gebedenboeken der XVe eeuw, II (Antwerp, 1931), pp. 86–89 (most individual prayers here are similar, some are not).
5. (fols. 23r–29v)
(Pseudo-)Birgitta of Sweden, Fifteen Prayers on the Suffering of Christ
Rubric: Hij begynnen .xv pater noster. van den lyden ons heren Ihesu Christi
Incipit: O Ihesu Christe ewighe sůessicheidt dynre vrůndee vreuden
Explicit: dat ich in dissen leůen maich dich loeůen mit allen heilgen ewelichen. Amen.

Consisting of 15 prayers, usually known in English as The Fifteen Oes when they appear in Latin manuscripts (e.g. MS. Lat. liturg. g. 4 and MS. Lat. liturg. g. 5).

Cf. U. Montag, Das Werk der heiligen Birgitta von Schweden in oberdeutscher Überlieferung (Munich, 1968), 25-34
6. (fols. 29v–32v)

Devotion consisting of seven prayers on the suffering of Christ

Rubric: Item. Hernae uolgen seuen ynnige inde deuote Pater noster. mit vij gebeder van den lyden ons lieuen heren Ihesu Christi …
Incipit: O almechtiger bermhertzzcicher ewiger got. dit pater noster. offeren ich
Explicit: alle dess suntlichen suchtens inde schiens
7. (fols. 33r–34v)
Prayer to the Trinity
Rubric: Item. Hij begint eyn suuerlich gebet zu der hilger driůeldicheit
Incipit: O ewige gloriose heilge driueldicheit. ich begere dat alle creaturen. in den hemel inde in der erden
Explicit: ynde syne sele beůal in dye hende syns ghebenediden hemelsschen vaders. Amen.
8. (fols. 35r–53v)
Prayers on the Passion
Rubric: Item. dit gebet her nae uolgende is eyne maneyr als men dat lyden ons lieůen heirren oeuerdencken wilt. off oeuerlesen. …
Incipit: Leyff heirre Ihesu Christe. ghemynde vader. Ghelaefft. gedanckt inde geeret
Explicit: mit allen selyghen mynschen . ynde her nae moels. emelichen. mit allen leyuen hilghen. Amen.

Divided into about 45 sections by coloured initials.

9. (fol. 53v)
Prayer on the Five Wounds (first lines only)
Rubric: Van den heilghen vunff worden onss leyuen heren Ihesu
Incipit: O almechtich ewich got. ich bidden dich. oeuermitzs dyne hil|

Incomplete due to the excision of a leaf.

10. (fols. 54r–69v)
Mass Prayers
Rubric: Hij begynnen ynnige inde deuote gebeder. die man lesen inde beden sal onder den ambacht der hilger offerhanden. inde myssen. goitzs.
Incipit: O alre gouderterenste Ihesu. O Ihesu Christe mijn eynich betruwen.
Explicit: ynde gebene dijt moyss sijn dat bloit dynre wonden. Amen.

A long series of prayers, many with rubrics indicating when they should be said e.g. ‘Alsmen dat hilge sacrament. up heyfft. soe sprecht dir gebet.’, ‘Alss der priester spricht Pater noster. soe val up dinen kneyen. inde maich eyn cruce vur dich. inde spreich dit gebedt’.

Fol. 70r blank; fol. 70v, full-page miniature (see Decoration)

11. (fol. 71r–v)
Devotion to the Virgin with indulgence of Sixtus IV
Rubric: Item. Soe wer dit naegeschreven gebet ynnich beden is vur eynen beilde ons liever vrauwen in dye sonne. der verdeint van Sixtus den veirde paess. Elff dusent iair afflaes.
Incipit: Gegroet sysdu alre hillichste Maria. moeder goitzs. connynkynne der hemelen. Porzce des paradijs. vrauwe der werelt.
Explicit: in dissen daelder trenen. Eya her h &c.(?)
Final rubric: Item dit vinder nae den gebeder van der hilgher myssen &c.
Cf. Gerard Achten and Hermann Knaus, Deutsche und niederländische Gebetbuchhandschriften der Hessischen Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek Darmstadt (Darmstadt: Roether, 1959), 52 (no. 8, fols. 11r-12v)
12. (fols. 72r–80r)
Rosary prayers
Rubric: Nu heest an. inde spricht. Ave Maria gracia plena dominus tecum etc.
Incipit: O connynchynne moeder der bermhertzicheit. bit Ihesum Christum dyne gebene dyde vrucht
Explicit: ons der vader. der son. inde der helige geyst. Amen. Spricht alle zu samen. amen. Pater noster. Ave Maria. &c.
Final rubric: Item. soe we dissen. Roesenkrans neit enkan gelesen. merdoch gerne wulde lesen … als men beschreven vynt midt eyven exempel.

A series of about 40 prayers, each preceded by an Ave Maria, except every tenth, which is instead preceded by a Pater noster.

13. (fol. 80r–v)
Rubric: Eyn exempel
Rubric: Item men leyst van den roesenkrans. eyn exempel. van eynen preyster. dat he up eyne zeijt saich in den geyste. wye onse leyff vrauwe Maria die moeder goitzs geeirt wart mit dyssen roesenkrans dye ere gesprochen worden up erden. ynde saich ouch wanne die sproechen Ave Maria. soe nyegden eyr alle hemelssche heer. Ynde so nam sy die rosen van den Ave Maria. inde maichde dae van eynen. Rosenkrans. Ynde wanne der rosenkrans volmaicht was. so sat sy den up eyr heufft. ynde dancket den de in maichget. Ynde dis preister saich ouch. dat sy in dat boich des ewigen leven worden gesat. Dar zu help Maria connynckynne der hemelen. alle den ghenen die dich eren mit dissen rosenkranz. Off mit anderen gouden gebederen dye Marien behegelich synt Amen.
Colophon: Geschreven is dis rosenkrans. up der seven sleiffer daich [i.e. 27 June]. 1495. zcer eren goitz. inde Marien synre leyffer moeder yn behoeff. Marien Beestoltzs her Mathijs Bestoltzs dochter dem got benaede. Ynde eebedghenoes des vroemen raetzmans. Johan Müntens. burger der keyserlycher heufft stat Aechen. &c.
14. (fols. 81r–82r)
Five Sorrows of the Virgin
Rubric: Item. Hij begynnen die vunff bedroeffenysse onsser liever vrauwen. der ewiger ioffrauwen Marien
Incipit: Ich vermanen dich leyff Maria. des groessen verueirrenysse dat dijn hartz verueirt wart
Explicit: as lijff inde sele scheiden sullen. Amen

Five prayers, interspersed by Ave Marias. Cf. Achten and Knaus, Deutsche und niederländische Gebetbuchhandschriften, 148 (no. 33, fol. 208v).

15. (fols. 82v–84r)
Prayer to the Virgin Mary
Rubric: Item. eyn ander suuerlich inde ynnich gebet van der eyrwerdyger inde hilger ioffrauwen inde moeder Marien
Incipit: Ich bidden dich o sueste ioffrauwe inde moeder Maria. durch der sweirt des bitteren ruwen . dat dyne hilge sele durchsneydt
Explicit: dar umine ich dynen hilgen naeme anroeffen. Amen.
16. (fols. 84r–85r)
Seven words of Mary under the Cross
Rubric: Item. dit her naeuolgende synt die seůen wort als men mildentlych geleůfft. dye Maria dye moeder ons heirren onder den cruce spraych. Dat eyrste wordt was
Incipit: O wijse leyrere der wijssheidt. wye byss dů nu versweghen
Explicit: Over mitzs Christum Ihesum onsen heren. Amen

Seven short passages, followed by a collect.

Similar texts pr. H. Eis, 'Ein mystisches Reimgebet aus dem 14. Jahrhundert' Neuphilologische Mitteilungen 63/3 (1962), pp. 148-154 at 152-3; see Gisela Kornrumpf and Paul-Gerhard Völker, Die deutschen mittelalterlichen Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek München (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1968), 216.
17. (fol. 85r–v)
Seven Joys of the Virgin as revealed to St Thomas of Canterbury
Rubric: Item. dit hernaeuolgende syndt seven vreuden. die onse leyff vrauwe up erden hadde. wilche vreuden ouch geleirt worden van der seluer connynckynnen Marien. deme hilgen busschoff synt Thomas van Cantuarien.
Incipit: Vreuwe dich Maria moeder inde maget. dat die volkoemenheit dynre eren
Explicit: Dat er nyeman van dyr genemen enkan. noch en maych. Amen.

Seven short prayers.

18. (fols. 86r–93v)
Prayers for the wounds of Christ
Rubric: Item. Disse naegeschreůen gebed saltů heisschen vyss den wonden ons leyffůen heren Ihesu Christi
Incipit: (fol. 86v) O vader alre bermherzcicheit. Ich erme ongeraicht sundich mynsche . dancken dyr dynre vederlich gertruwen
Explicit: mit den schatzs dins mynnent lichen verdeynst. Amen.
Final rubric: Soe dit vurgeschreuen gebet. mit meyrre andacht gesprochen wirt zu den wonden ons herren … Inde he sal eyn nuwe mynsche geboren werden. in Christo Ihesu onssen heirren. Amen.

A series of eight prayers with rubrics, e.g. ‘Nu spreich zu der slincker hant …’, ‘Nu sprech zu der rechter handt …’.

19. (fol. 94r)

Full-page colophon in Latin

Colophon: Conscriptus est iste liber sub expensis probi et honesti viri Johannis Munten. consulis regie urbis Aquisgrani. Ac dilecte consortis sue. Marie Beestoltzs in maritali thoro coniunx individua. et legittime perpetua Anno quo se voluit post partum domine mundi atque regine celi. Milesimus quadringentesimus nonagesimus quintus. A fratre Theoderico Clocker sacerdote. domino deo militante sub habitu et canonica professione regularium. in capitali opido tocius Gallie. quod est sedes inunctionis Romanorum regum imperancium Christianitati per universum orbem. Laus deo semper etc.
Cited in Colophons de manuscrits occidentaux, V, no. 17,696 (‘Theodericus Glocker’ [sic]); cf. no. 17,695, presumably written by the same man (‘broeder Dederich Clocker reguleyr binnen Aeche’).

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: iii (paper) + 91 + iii (paper) leaves
Dimensions (leaf): 115 × 85 mm.
Foliation: 1–97 in purple pencil

Collation

Bound too tightly to allow confident collation without risk of damage. ‘Quires of 8 leaves’ according to Priebsch, Deutsche Handschriften in England, 185.

Layout

Frame-ruled in purple ink for 22 lines per page. Ruled space 100 × 60 mm.

Hand(s)

Gothic textualis, by Theodericus Clocker alias Dietrich Klocker

Decoration

One full-page miniature of the Virgin of the Apocalypse: she suckles the infant, has a crescent moon at her feet, and is flanked by two music-making angels; within a full border; facing a page with a five-line champie initial and full border (fols. 70v–71r). There are stubs of excised leaves before many of the major textual divisions, suggesting further miniatures have been removed.

One nine-line and seven six- to eight-line initials merging into full borders with flowers, thistles, birds, butterflies, etc., at the main textual divisions (fols. 15r, 21r, 23r, 33r, 35r, 54r, 72r, 81r). Five similar three-line initials and borders at lesser divisions (fols. 16r, 17r, 18r, 19r, 20r). Five- or six-line champie initials, accompanied by a three-sided border (fols. 30r, 82v). Two- to six-line champie initials at individual prayers.

One-line initials alternately gold with black penwork or blue with red penwork.

Borders are of the ‘strewn flower’ type derived from Flemish models.

Binding

19th century leather (straight-grained morocco?) over pasteboards, each cover framed by a blind-tooled ornamental border, the spine lettered ‘missal’ in gilt black-letter characters; blue-grey endpapers; the edges of the leaves gilt; worn and extensively restored.

History

Origin: 1495 ; Germany, Aachen (colophon, fol. 94r)

Provenance and Acquisition

Written in 1495 by Dietrich Klocker / Theodericus Clocker, canon of Aachen, for Johannes Munten, city councillor of Aachen, and his wife Marie Beestoltzs (fols. 80v, 94r; cf. the dates on fols. 4v, 20v). Theodericus Clocker is recorded as a canon regular from 1464–1531 at the monastery of St. Johann-Baptist, Aachen; he completed writing of a copy of Caesarius von Heisterbach (Aachen, Stadtbibliothek, MS 49) on 18 October 1468; and in 1505 an illuminated prayerbook on behalf of the Mayor of Aachen, Peter Bestoltz, for his daughters Elisabeth and Lutkardis (Darmstadt, Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek, MS. 964). The Necrology of the Canons shows that he and his family were generous donors, and records that he was ordained in 1474, and later became subprior: on 4 April 1531, ‘Obiit frater Theodericus Clocker, supprior, canonicus et sacerdos huius domus.’ (J. Greving, ‘Geschichte des Klosters der Windesheimer Chorherren zu Aachen’, Zeitschrift des Aachener Geschichtsvereins, 13 (1891), 1–122 at 77). For further discussion, see H. Knaus, ‘Stundenbücher aus Aachen’, Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens, 11 (1971), cols. 1729–46 (reprinted in his collected works, Studien zur Handschriftenkunde (1991), pp. 125–38), and F. Wagner, ‘Der Codex Nr. 49 der Stadtbibliothek Aachen’, Studia codicologica, Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur, 124, ed. by K. Treu (Berlin, 1977) pp. 503–09.

An obit(?) is added by an early 16th-century hand to the calendar, for ‘myn vader’ (1 May), presumably by a child of the original patron: the death of ‘Johannes Munten, consul urbis Aquensis’ is recorded on 1 May 1509 (Greving, op. cit, p. 98); another note is added, apparently by the same hand, at 26 August.

Sir Robert Harry Inglis (1786–1855), with ink stamp, ‘R. H. Inglis’ encircling his crest, a half lion, rampant, holding a five-pointed star (fol. 4r); included in the sale of the ‘remaining part’ of his library:

‘Bought by the Bodleian at Sotheby’s sale 12.11.1889 for £1.17 (lot 63)’ (fol. 1v, and fol. 97r, upside down).

Record Sources

Description (May 2021) by Peter Kidd, edited by Matthew Holford. Previously described in the Summary Catalogue.

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (full digital facsimile)
Digital Bodleian (1 image from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2021-05-13: Description fully revised for Polonsky German digitization project.