Montréal, McGill University - Rare Books and Special Collections - Manuscript Collection, MS Medieval 0171

Cantus Siglum

CDN-Mlr MS Medieval 0171

Holding Institution

Montréal, McGill University - Rare Books and Special Collections - Manuscript Collection (CDN-Mlr)

Manuscript/Print

Manuscript

Summary

Missal, fragment from one leaf (top portion), date and provenance uncertain, contains prayers for the Mass (collects, secrets, postcommunions)

Liturgical Occasions

Collects, secrets, and postcommunion prayers for saints celebrated in January: Marcellus, Prisca, Fabian & Sebastian, Agnes, and Vincent.

Description

145 x 215 mm with a principal writing-space of 120 x 165 mm. No musical notation. Lined in light-brown ink.

From the library's description:

"Part of one vellum leaf (top portion only) ; 13 lines of text in brown ink on each side ; two-line red initials ; liturgical rubrics in red.

Fragment of one leaf (top portion) from a late 15th-century Italian missal.

Number 99 appears in the top centre of the recto ; numbering may be a contemporary annotation."

However, the textual hand does not point strongly to 15th century Italy, lacking the characteristic roundness and evenness of a late Southern Textualis hand.
Instead, many aspects of the text suggest a much earlier date and possibly a more northern location. For example, the text begins above top line (a practice generally considered to have ended around 1230 or 1240); the name "Marcellus" and the word OMnium use an uncial M; many straight half-uncial "d" shapes are present, as well as many "capital" R-shapes; "a" is open and somewhat angular, using four strokes; and there is considerable forking throughout. On the other hand, many Gothic features are present, such as a consistent round s at the ends of words and several fused forms and abbreviations. The script overall is somewhat angular, with hooks at the basis of many descenders, and the crossbar of the "t", and is closer to a Libraria than Formata grade. Overall the page suggests an origin around 1230, perhaps in France.

Selected Bibliography

Hatzopoulos, Dionysios, compiler; Ann Marie Holland, editor. "#23. MS Medieval 171." Long Descriptions Ms Medieval Manuscript Antiphonals, Missals and Graduals. Digitization and Cataloguing Project- Antiphonals, Missals and Graduals, p. 21. McGill University Library, Rare Books and Special Collections. Updated 6 Dec 2018.

Notes on the Inventory

The inventory for CDN-Mlr MS 171 (fragment) was prepared by Debra Lacoste (University of Waterloo). Description by Anna de Bakker.

Full Texts Entered by

Debra Lacoste

Full/Partial Inventory

Full Inventory

Complete Source/Fragment

Fragment

Fragmentarium ID

F-iym2

DACT ID

D:0iym2