Walters Ms. W.32, Hymnal with commentary

W.32

Hymnal with commentary

Authority name: Hilarius (Author of Expositio hymnorum)

This manuscript, created in the twelfth century, contains eighty-one early Christian hymns, accompanied by a commentary supposedly written by St. Hilarius. The margins of the first folios of the manuscript are illuminated with five bishops, likely meant to represent five famous hymn-writers: Hilarius, Ambrose, Prudentius, Sedulius, and Gregory. Due to extreme flaking of the text and pigments, the manuscript could not be digitized at this time.

Ca. 1130-1150 CE

Spain

Book

Liturgical

The primary language in this manuscript is Latin. The secondary language of this manuscript is Spanish; Castilian.

Foliation: 76

Formula: Undetermined

Comments: Manuscript condition too poor to assess collation at this time

14.0 cm wide by 21.0 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 27

1. Fol. 1r has only 21 ruled lines

1. Title: Hymnal and commentary
2. Hand note: Early Gothic bookhand
3. Decoration note: Five marginal illuminations of bishops (27 lines); one large inhabited initial (12 lines); red initials throughout with green or blue penwork (4-6 lines); text in black ink

1. Title: Hymnal
2. Incipit: Legitur in veteri testamento quod
3. Contents: Eighty-one hymns with commentary: Aeterne rerum conditor (5v); Nocte surgente vigilemus omnes (7); Ecce iam noctis tenuatur umbra (7v); Iam lucis orto sidere (8r); Nunc sancte nobis spiritus (8v); Rector potens verax (9r); Rerum deus tenax vigor (9r); Lucis creator optime (9v); Te lucis ante terminum (10r); Christe qui lux es et dies; Sompno refectis artubus; Splendor paterne glorie; Immense celi conditor; Consors paterni luminis lux ipse lucis; Ales diei nuncius; Telluris ingens conditor; Rerum creator optime; Nox et tenebre et nubila; Celi deus sanctissime qui lucidum (18r); Nox atra rerum contegit; Lux ecce surgit aurea; Magne deus potentie; Tu trinitatis unitas; Aeterna caeli gloria beata spes (22r); Plasmator hominis deus qui cuncta solus ordinans (23r); Summe deus clementiae; Aurora iam spargit polum; O lux beata trinitas et principalis unitas iam sol recidit; Conditor alme siderum; Verbum supernum prodiens a patre olum exiens; Vox clara ecce intonat obscura quisque incepat; Veni redemptor gentium; Christe redemptor omnium; A solis ortu cardine; Hostis herodis impie; Nuncium vobis fero; Ave maris stella; Quem terra pontus sidera; O gloriosa domina excelsa super sidera; Quod chorus vatum venerandum olim; Martiris ecce dies emicat eximie (37r); Christe sanctorum decus atque vita veritas; Imbuit post hinc homines beatus regulus aretis; Iam Christe sol iusticiae multis recedit tenebris; Clarum decus ieiunii monstrata orbi celiter (40r); Ex more docti mistico; Ihesus redempto saeculi; Audi benigne conditor nostras preces cum laudibus; Vexilla regis prodeunt fulget crucis misterium; Pange lingua gloriosi proelium certaminus; Lustra sex qui iam per acta; Ad cenam agnum providi; Rex eterne domine rerum creator omnium (47r); Aurora lucis rutilat; Aeterne rex altissime redemptor et fidelium quo mors soluta (49r); Hymnum canamus glorie; Ihesu nostra redemptio; Veni creator spiritus; Iam christus astra ascenderat (53r); Beata nobis gaudia; Ut queant laxis resonare fibris mira istorium; O nimis felix meritique; Felix per omnes festum mundi cardines apostolorum (59r); Aurea luce et decore roseo lux lucis omne perfudisti (61v); Tibi Christe splendor patris; Christe sanctorum decus angelorum rector humani; Christe redemptor omnium conserva tuos famulos; Ihesu salvator saeculi; Rex Christe Martini decus; Martine per apostolis festum colentes tu fove qui vivere discipulis vis (65v); Extulet caelum laudibus; Aeterna Christi munera apostolorum gloria (66v); Sanctorum meritis inclita gaudia; Aeterna Christi munera martirum victoriam laudes (68v); Iste confessor domini; Deus tuorum militum; Martir dei qui unicum; Ihesu corona virginum; Virginis proles opifexque matris; Urbs beata Iherusalem; Angularis fundamentum
4. Text note: Selection of hymns shows particular emphasis on SS. Agatha, Peter and Paul, Martin of Tours, Michael the Archangel, Benedict, and John the Baptist
5. Hand note: Early Gothic book hand with numerous abbreviations; writing larger and squarer on fol. 1r
6. Decoration note: Five marginal illustrations, fols. 1r-3r; inhabited initial, fol. 3v

1. Title: Index
2. Hand note: Seventeenth-century italic cursive

The binding is not original.

Red velvet, ca. 1900, by Léon Gruel, Paris

Created around the middle of the twelfth century, likely in Spain

Spain, nineteenth century(?); stamp on verso of front flyleaf, partially effaced, but with crown visible and inscription "Enagenado por;" list of hymns with notes in Spanish on fols. 73r-76v

Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased from Léon Gruel, Paris, before 1931

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

De Ricci, Seymour. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935, p. 781. no. 155.

Spanish Medieval Art: Loan Exhibition in Honor of Dr. Walter W. S. Cook Arranged by The Alumni Association, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University in Cooperation with The Metropolitan Museum of Art : The Cloisters, New York, December 15, 1954-January 30, 1955. New York: The Alumni Association of the Institute of Fine Arts, 1954.

Gneuss, Helmut. Hymnar und Hymnen im englischen Mittelalter. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1968, pp. 194-206 (discussion of the commentary attached to these hymns).

Cataloger: Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Conservator: Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.