Fulda, Hessische Landesbibliothek, Aa 55

Cantus Siglum

D-FUl Aa 55

Holding Institution

Fulda, Hessische Landesbibliothek (D-FUl)

Manuscript/Print

Manuscript

Summary

First half of the fifteenth-century (as per library record) summer season antiphoner from the collegiate church of Rasdorf near Fulda, Hessen, Germany. Latin text. German Gothic notation on five-line staves with red F-line and yellow c-line. Cathedral cursus. 222 leaves. 360 mm x 265 mm.

Liturgical Occasions

Ff. 1r-77r: Temporale. 1r, Tonary; 2r, Easter; 17v, Holy Lance; 25r, Rogation Monday; 25v, Ascension; 31v, Pentecost; 36v, Trinity; 41v, Corpus Christi; 46r, Summer Histories; 69v, Sundays after Pentecost.
Ff. 77r-193v: Sanctorale. 77r, Dedication of a Church; 82r, Tiburtius, Valerian and Maximus; 83r, George; 84r, Mark; 84r, Vitalis and Valeria; 84r, Philip and James; 85r, Finding of the Cross; 87v, John before the Latin Gate; 88r, Pancras and Companions; 88r, Boniface; 92v, John the Baptist; 96v, John and Paul; 98r, Peter and Paul; 102v, Paul; 106v, Visitation of Mary; 112r, Moving of Martin’s relics; 112v, Kilian and Companions; 118r, Margaret (Marina); 122r, Mary Magdalene; 127r, Anne; 130v, Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix; 135v, Peter in Chains; 137v, Finding of Stephen’s relics; 142v, Laurence; 147r, Hippolytus; 147v, Assumption of Mary; 153v, Beheading of John the Baptist; 156v, Nativity of Mary; 160r, Holy Cross; 160v, Matthew; 161r, Maurice and Companions; 161v, Michael the Archangel; 166v, Moving of Januarius’s relics; 167v, All Saints; 172r, Martin; 178v, Elizabeth of Hungary; 177v, Brice; 183r, Cecilia (Cecily); 186v, Clement I; 188v, Catherine of Alexandria; 193v, Conversion of Paul.
Ff. 194r-214v: Common of Saints. 194r, Common of Apostles; 197v, Common of several Martyrs; 201v, Common of one Martyr; 205v, Common of one Confessor; 209v, Common of several Virgins; 213v, Sundays after Pentecost; 214v, Votive Office for Mary.

Description

Fol. 1r: Ecclesiae Collegialis in Rasdorff" is written in cursive script, in a hand later than the main body of the manuscript.

The liturgical cursus and repertory, differing from the Benedictine liturgy of the abbey church, probably reflect those of the household chapel of the abbots of Fulda, who maintained a community of clerks drawn from the neighbouring collegiate chapels of Rasdorf, Hünfeld and Salmünster.

Of particular interest are the historiae for the patron saints of Fulda: Boniface (88r) and Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix (130v). Also rare is the Office for Kilian and Companions (112v), seventh-century Irish missionaries to Franconia. Notable is the inclusion of chants for Januarius of Benevento. The position of these chants in the antiphoner suggests the feast of his Translation (Oct. 23).

The foliation for this index follows that given by a modern hand in the top right corner of the recto sides of the folios.

This description previously (pre-2025) identified this book as "Fourteenth- or fifteenth-century" with 214 leaves, with a size of 26 x 35.3 cm, but was emended to match the current online library catalogue record.

Selected Bibliography

• Hettenhausen, Hansheinrich. “Die Choralhandschriften der Fuldaer Landesbibliothek,” 32-34. Ph.D. Diss., Marburg University, 1961.


• Library Record, Hochschul-, Landes- und Stadtbibliothek Fulda: link.


• Library Catalogue: Die theologischen Handschriften der Hessischen Landesbibliothek Fulda bis zum Jahr 1600 (1), p. 124, available from link.

Notes on the Inventory

The index for D-FUl Aa 55 was prepared by Kate Helsen (Universität Regensburg) with editorial assistance from Andrew Mitchell (The University of Western Ontario). David Hiley provided generous assistance in the writing of the source description (2006). An update to the source description was made by Debra Lacoste in 2025.

Full/Partial Inventory

Full Inventory

Complete Source/Fragment

Complete (or mostly complete)