Bern Physiologus
The Berner Physiologus is a Carolingian illuminated manuscript that was created around 825–850 in Reims . The codex contains, among other things, the oldest illustrated Latin edition of the Christian doctrine of nature by the Physiologus . The manuscript is illuminated with 25 framed and 10 unframed miniatures . A Haecpertus is named as the scribe on folio 125r . The anthology was created around 830 in the Hautvillers monastery .
The manuscript has been in the Bern Citizens' Library under the signature Codex Bongarsianus 318 since the 17th century .
Description of the codex
The Codex is a collection of 131 parchment sheets in the format 255 × 180mm. On fol. 130r there is a scribe verse and a scribe colophon :
"AMEN finite. Haecpertus [= Egbert] me fecit. Qui istum librum legit, orat pro Hecperto scriptore si deum habeat adiutorem et defensorem. -
Amen. Haecpertus did it. Who reads this book, pray for the writer Haecpertus when God has a helper and defender. "
He used a Carolingian minuscule . In addition, a red and black uncial was used for chapter and work headings. The codex was created around 830 in the Hautvillers monastery. According to a restoration note on the mirror sheet of the back cover, the cover was completely restored in 1946.
content
The codex consists of a total of 9 parts; 1. Vita Sancti Symeonis (fol. 1r-5r) (approx. 830) 2. De ortu et obitu patrum (fol. 5r-6v) (approx. 830) These are 18 short biographies of Christian patriarchs ( Abraham to David). 3. Physiologus latinus (fol. 7r-22v) (approx. 830) This version of the Physiologus contains only 24 chapters with 33 images (fol. 7r-21r). This is followed by the sections Galli cantus (fol. 21v.22r) and Caballus (fol. 22r-v), each decorated with a picture. This is the most famous part of the Codex, which is why it was named after it. Various animals (both real and fantastic), plants and stones are described in the Physiologus. 4. Fredegarii Chronicon (fol. 23r-125r) (approx. 830) This world chronicle, attributed to Fredegar, is divided into four books and breaks off in the ninth chapter of the fourth book. 5. Dies Aegyptiaci (inset) (fol. 41r) (approx. 10th century) This list of unlucky days was added a little later, in a vacant space. The list differs greatly from lists from other regions 6. Lectio S. Evangelii secundum Matthaeum (fol. 125r) (approx. 830) 7. Sermo S. Effrem monachem in transfigurationem Domini (fol. 125v-130r) (approx. 830) This interpretation is ascribed to the Syrian Ephrem. 8. Praecepta medica (fol. 130v) (9th - 10th centuries) Here you can find two recipes. 9. De septem miraculis mundi (fol. 131r-v) (approx. 11th century) In this last part the seven wonders of the world are described.
History of the Codex
The codex came into the possession of Pierre Daniel (1530–1603) from the Hautvillers monastery. He wrote on sheet 1r: "Petri Danielis Aurel." There are also notes from the same hand, especially on the Fredegar Chronicle (fols. 74r, 75r, 78r, 78v, 95v, 96r, 106r, 118v etc.). The next owner, Jacques Bongars (1554–1612), mentions his name on the fol. 1r and made notes (fol. 52v, 99r). In the 15th century the Codex in Reims was privately owned. This is evidenced by an entry on sheet 131v: "Ce livre appartient a Ragonde Bachellier". The codex was donated to the Bern library in 1632.
gallery
literature
- Helen Woodruff: The Physiologus of Bern. A survival of Alexandrian Style in a 9th Century Manuscript , in: The Art Bulletin 12 , 1930, pp. 226-253 ( Jstor )
- Otto Homburger : About the art-historical significance of the manuscripts of the Burgerbibliothek , in: Treasures of the Burgerbibliothek Bern . Bern 1953.
- Otto Homburger: The illustrated manuscripts of the Burgerbibliothek Bern. The pre-Carolingian and Carolingian manuscripts . Bern 1962.
- Christoph von Steiger, Otto Homburger: Physiologus Bernensis. Full facsimile edition of Codex Bongarsianus 318 of the Burgerbibliothek Bern . Basel 1964.
- Beat Matthias von Scarpatetti : Catalog of the dated manuscripts in Switzerland in Latin script from the beginning of the Middle Ages to 1550 . Vol. II: The manuscripts of the Bern - Porrentruy libraries. Dietikon-Zurich 1977, p. 193 Figs. 675–677
- Florentine Mütherich , Joachim E. Gaehde: Carolingian book painting , Prestel, Munich 1979. ISBN 3-7913-0395-3 , pp. 63-65.
Web links
- Catalog of the Burgerbibliothek Bern
- Online version of the manuscript , accessed March 23, 2014
- Manuscript description and bibliography , accessed on March 23, 2014
- Translations on the Physiologus , accessed March 29, 2014.
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/de/description/bbb/0318 (accessed on March 23, 2014)
- ↑ http://katalog.burgerbib.ch/detail.aspx?ID=129383 (accessed on April 20, 2014)
- ↑ http://katalog.burgerbib.ch/detail.aspx?ID=129383 (accessed on April 20, 2014)