Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

A catalogue of Western manuscripts and papyri at Cambridge University Library, the Fitzwilliam Museum and selected Cambridge colleges

Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.11.17

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 11947

Contents

Introduction: This manuscript, probably copied in the second half of the 14th century, is a Sticherarion, a liturgical book containing the stichera idiomela (hymns with their own melodies, rather than conforming to a standard type) sung at orthros and vespers (morning and evening services). It is divided into a Menaion, containing hymns for the feasts of the fixed calendar beginning on 1 September, and two components covering sections of the mobile calendar based on the date of Easter. These are the Triodion, covering Lent and Holy Week, and the Pentekostarion, covering the period from Easter to the feast of All Saints. Confusingly, the Triodion here begins with a heading indicating the beginning of the Pentekostarion (f. 193r). There is also a series of stichera prosomoia (hymns set to standard melodies) for Lent, and the sequence of Eothina anastasima (the eleven morning hymns of the Resurrection) attributed to the Emperor Leo VI (866-912), another normal component of the Sticherarion, together with a few individual hymns. Bound at the beginning and end of the manuscript, probably as endleaves from a previous binding, are leaves taken from two other hymn-books of similar date, one from the beginning of another Sticherarion. All are accompanied by musical notation of the "Round" type, in use in the later centuries of the Byzantine period. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek

Physical Description

Form: codex
Extent: Codex: ii + 1 | 297 | 2 + ii leaves. 218 × 140 mm.
Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i-ii] + [iii] + 1-299 + [iv-v], in Arabic numerals, in pencil, recto, upper right. This foliation initially began by including the early endleaf f. [iii] as the first folio. This sequence is marked until f. 18r, but its numbers have later been struck out and replaced by those of the present sequence. Numbers of this cancelled sequence continue to appear intermittently thereafter, sometimes with errors.

Condition

Serious pest damage runs through the whole manuscript. There is a tear across f. 174. Extensive brown stains appear in the gutter on ff. 279v-299v. The paper has become soft in places. There is water staining and areas of dirt.

Binding

18th-century full leather binding over couched-laminate boards, with plain pastedowns. There is decorative gold tooling on the spine and blind tooling on the edges. The title ‘Hymni in dies festos’ is tooled in gold on a red label on the spine, and the classmark appears there on patches. The title ‘Ψαλτηκα’ is written on the tail-edge.

220 × 160 × 80 mm.

Both endbands are partly detached and the headband is split.

Accompanying Material

A note on content is pasted to the modern endleaf f. [ii] verso: ‘Hymni in dies festos cum notis musicis. ex dono Genadii Monachi’.

History

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the monk Gennadios .

Given by Gennadios to the Monastery of the Pantokrator on Mount Athos, as indicated by the note on f. 297r.

Bequeathed by Richard Bentley (1662-1742) , Master of Trinity College, to the College Library after his death.

Part 1 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.11.17, ff. [ii-iii]]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1. f. [iii] recto-[iii] verso
Sticherarion

Fragment

Incipit: f. [iii] recto ⟨Ε⟩πεστη η η σο δο ο του ενιαυτου
Explicit: f. [iii] recto πρεσβευε του σωθηναι τας ψυχας ημων

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Eastern paper, folded in quarto.

Layout

A single column of 17 lines. 152 × 100 mm.

Hand(s)

f. [iii] recto-[iii] verso was copied by Hand A in upright mixed minuscule script, in black ink, with little variation in letter size. Diacritics and abbreviations are not used.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points and full stop.

Musical Notation: The text is supplied with Round notation.

Decoration

A space above the beginning of the text was probably intended for a headpiece (f. [iii[ recto).

Additions

A note has been added in the blank space on f. [iii] recto: ‘ἐτ..(?)η ἡ ήσοδος του ἐνιαὐτοῦ· συγγ....(?) σαγκαίρειν ταύτην τοὺς λαμπρίνοντας καλλίστιν εὔοδον καὶ ἑρμογένην. τοὺς αὐτὰ δέλφους ἀθλητας· Συμεὼν τ⟨ὸν⟩ άγγελλον· ἡ ησουν τὸν τοῦ ναυῆ’. The same hand has also added notes to ff. 58v and 174r.

History

Origin: This fragment was probably copied in the 14th century, as suggested by the style of script and musical notation.

Part 2 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.11.17, ff. 1-297]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

1.
Sticherarion
Filiation: The text has been identified as being derived from the same original as Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS grec. 261 (Tillyard, 'Byzantine musical manuscripts', p. 201).
1.1. ff. 1r-192v
Menaion
Rubric: f. 1r Ἀρχὴ σὺ<⟨ν⟩> Θεῶ στιχεραρην[sic] ἔχῶν[sic] τὴν ἄπασαν[sic] ἀκολουθ<⟨ίαν⟩>
Incipit: f. 1r Επεστη εισοδος του ενιαυτου
Explicit: f. 192v λιμην και προστασια και σωτηριαν ημων
Final rubric: f. 192v Ὁ τα[sic] πάντα πληρῶν Θεὸς ἡμῶν δόξα σοι

The end of this text is followed by a cross with the letters sigma, nu, alpha and phi at its extremities.

1.2. ff. 193r-256r
Triodion
Rubric: f. 193r Στιχεράριον σὺν Θεῶ ἀρχόμενον ἀπὸ τῆ[sic] Κυριακῆς τοῦ τελώνου καὶ τοῦ Φαρισαίου· καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἁγίων πάντων· καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν· ἥτοι τὰ πʹ τοὺς ἀναβαθμοὺς τῶν ιαʹ εὐαγγελίων καὶ τὰ κδʹ
Incipit: f. 193r Μη προσευξομεθα φαρισαικως αδελφοι
Explicit: f. 256r ἐν τοις μημασιν. ζωην χαρισαμενος
1.3. f. 256v, lines 1-8
Procheiron
Incipit: f. 256v Ω του παραδοξου θαυματος· του πυρος ο χορτος
Explicit: f. 256v ο εκ νεκρων εγηγερμενος δοξα σοι
1.4. f. 256v, lines 9-17
Procheiron
Incipit: f. 256v Ω του παραδοξου θαυματος· Ιωαννης στηθει του λογου ανεπεσεν
Explicit: f. 256v ο Κυριος μου και ο Θεος μου δοξα σοι
1.5. ff. 257r-282r
Pentekostarion
Incipit: f. 257r Με ο ημερας οκτω της εγερσεως σου Κυριε
Explicit: f. 282r ελεηθηναι τας ψυχας ημων
1.6. ff. 282r-294r
Stichera prosomoia for the vespers of Great Lent
Rubric: f. 282r Στιχερὰ προσώμοια τῆς ἁγίας μʹ
Incipit: f. 282r Εγκρατεια τη σαρκα ταπεινωσαι· παντες σπουδασωμεν
Explicit: f. 294r ανυμνουμεν το κρατο της αγαθοτητος σου Κυριε
1.7. ff. 294r-297r, line 10
Eothina of the Emperor Leo VI
Rubric: f. 294r Στιχερὰ ἀναστάσιμα τῶν ιαʹ εὐαγγελίων τῶν ἐωθηνῶν·[sic] ποίημα Λέοντος βασιλέως
Incipit: f. 294r Ε εις το ορος τοις μαθηταις επιγωμενος
Explicit: f. 297r εκ λυκων λυμαινομενων αυτην
1.8. f. 297v
Stichera

Defective at the end

Incipit: f. 297v Ριπτοντες περιβολεα παντα· βαινοντες ατρομως εις λιμνην
Explicit: f. 297v μη υποπτηξωμεν ωραν χημεριον· ινα την φο||

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Eastern paper, folded in quarto.

Collation

The main body of the manuscript consists of 39 quires, of which one is a single leaf, one a binion, one a ternion and the rest are quaternia.

  • Quire 16 ff. 1-6
  • Quires 2-48 ff. 7-30
  • Quires 5-208 ff. 31-158
  • Quire 218-1 ff. 159-165 The seventh folio has been lost, with loss of text.
  • Quires 22-248 ff. 166-189
  • Quire 254-1 ff. 190-192 The last folio has been cancelled, without loss of text.
  • Quires 26-388 ff. 193-296
  • Quire 391 f. 297 Only the first three folios of this quire survive

There are quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in pencil, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. They survive on Quires 1-8, 22-39. The signature for Quire 6 is misplaced, appearing one folio too late.

Layout

ff. 1r-297r A single column of 17 lines. 150-160 × 100 mm.

f. 297v A single column of 15 lines. 139 × 95 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 1r-297r were copied by Hand B in upright mixed minuscule script, in black ink, with consistent letter size. Diacritics and abbreviations are not used.

Punctuation used includes the middle and upper points, middle comma and full stop.

Headings are written in the same style, with diacritics and abbreviations, in red ink. Breathings are round. There is decorative use of the double dot and accentuation of all lengths of nomina sacra . Accents are sometimes joined to abbreviations.

The opening heading is written in epigraphic display majuscule script, in red ink (f. 1r).

f. 297v was copied by Hand C in upright mixed minuscule script, in black ink, with consistent letter size. Accents and breathings are used only in headings. Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop.

Musical Notation: The text is supplied with Round notation.

Decoration

Sections of the text are preceded by horizontal headpieces in red ink (ff. 1r, 108r, 193r) or a thin band of ornament outlined in black ink with red infill.

Hymns on ff. 1r-297r begin with minor initials in red ink.

Hymns on f. 297v begin with minor initials in black ink.

A large cross-shaped plaited deoration in black ink, with red and yellow infill, appears after the end of a section on f. 174r.

Additions

As part of the original production of the manuscript, liturgical notes have been added in the margins, and some have been added by later hands. The hand responsible for the note on f. [iii] recto has also added notes to ff. 58v and 174r.

A note on f. 297r records the donation of the manuscript by the monk kyr Gennadios to the Monastery of the Pantokrator on Mount Athos: ‘Τὸ παρὸν στιχεράριον ἔδοσαν ὁ ἐν μοναχοῖς κῦρ Γεννάδιος· εἰς τὴν σεβασμίαν καὶ ἱερὰν μονὴν τοῦ Παντοκρατορος καὶ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ τὴν ἁγίω ὄρει τοῦ Ἄθωνος’. To this another hand has added a curse on any who remove it from the monastery: ‘καὶ ὁ ἀποξενῶσας αὐτῶ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς μονῆς ἐχέτω· τὸν Παντοκράτορα αντίδικον’.

History

Origin: The manuscript was probably copied in the later 14th century, as suggested by the style of script and musical notation.

Part 3 [Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.11.17, ff. 298-299]

Contents

Language(s): Greek

10. ff. 298r-299v
Hymns

Fragment

Incipit: || f. 298r Συντρομω σεμνη σοι παριστηκει νυν Γαβριηλ ο αρχαγγελος
Explicit: f. 299v φερουσα εν αγγαλαις η Θεοτοκος||

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Eastern paper, folded in quarto.

Layout

A single column of 15-17 lines. 138-159 × 100 mm.

Hand(s)

ff. 298r-299v was copied by Hand D in upright mixed minuscule script, in black ink, with consistent letter size. Accents and breathings are used only in headings. There is decorative use of the double dot. Punctuation used includes the middle point and full stop.

Musical Notation: The text is supplied with Round notation.

Decoration

Hymns on ff. 298r-299v begin with minor initials in black ink.

Additions

A note regarding Alexander has been added to f. 299v.

History

Origin: This fragment was probably copied in the later 14th century, as suggested by the style of script and musical notation.

Additional Information

Availability

Visitors to Trinity College who wish to consult Special Collections material are required to apply to the Library in advance of their visit. For information on eligibility and admission procedures see: Trinity College: Information for Readers.

Bibliography

    The western manuscripts in the library of Trinity College: a descriptive catalogue, James, M.R. (Cambridge, 1, Cambridge University Press, 1900) Some Byzantine musical manuscripts at Cambridge Annual of the British School at Athens, Tillyard, H.J.W. (23, 1918) The hymns of the Sticherarium for November Monumenta Musicae Byzantinae Transcripta, Tillyard, H.J.W. (Copenhagen, Levin & Munksgaard, 1938) Ta cheirographa byzantines mousikes Anglia = The manuscripts of Byzantine music: England, Giannopoulos, Emmanouil St. (Athens, Institute of Byzantine Musicology, 2008)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

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Cambridge Digital Library

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