Antiphonal Leaf
Antiphonal Leaf
ca. 1550
Language: Latin
Single leaf
vellum
height 50 cm
width 33 cm
Ruth Anthony, Medieval Portland Capstone Student, Summer 2014
This antiphonal leaf dates from around 1550 and appears to be a Gregorian chant. It specifically references Luke 23, 28-29: “Iherusalem nolite flere super me sed super vos ipsas flete et super filios uestros. quoniam uenient dies in.” This roughly translates to: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves, and upon the children of your mutual hostility. For the day will come.” The late Dr. Wilma Fitzgerald transcribed the Latin text.
The material is vellum that presumably came from sheep due to its size. The chant was written in two columns with eight lines of music, which was common for the era. The neumes were hand drawn in black on five red lines, and the rubrics were also in red. Lyrics were handwritten in calligraphy with black ink except on the embellished lettering at the beginning of new sentences. The embellished letters are approximately 55mm x 30 mm and written inside decorative blocks of blues and reds. The blocks themselves have simple detail, unlike the grand embellishments of other manuscripts. The leaf was originally bound as can be seen by the holes on one edge from the stitching and remnants of thread.
Wilma Fitzgerald, PhD, SP - Quoted with permission from an unpublished study
Antiphonale. For Holy Week [?]. One vellum leaf framed in showcase. Reverse side unavailable. Approximately 500 x 330 mm. Written in two columns with eight lines of music the neumes on five red lines. Rubrics in red ink.
// ibi me uidebitis dicit dominus Ad vi Ps. : [erasure] Rogabo patrem meum ne deficiat fides tua Petre. Ad ix am Ps. Deficit fi[des]. Quanto tempore uobiscum eram docens uos in templo et non me tenuistis et
[Second column]
modo flagelletum ducitis ad crucifigendum. Ps. ad vesperas an[t] : Non confidetur Cum aliis Capitulum ut supra Mirabilia R. Circumdederunt me. Hymnus : Vexilla regis V: Eripe me domine ab ho. Ad magniticat ant: Filie Iherusalem nolite flere super me sed super vos ipsas flete et super filios uestros. quoniam uenient dies in [quibus dicent: Beatae steriles] [Luc. 23, 28-29].