Contemporary foliation with roman numerals in the upper margin, starting
from the beginning of the
officia sanctorum
(last number
visible on fol. 53, ‘lij’). Modern foliation in the upper right margin, starting
from the first leaf.
IV
8
+ V
18
+
4IV
50
+ III
56
The manuscript in general is in decent shape. The first and the last
folia have suffered the most damage. The tops of the two first folia and of fol.
54 are torn. Fols. 55–56 survive only as unfoliated stubs.
The manuscript contains at least two different watermarks. A
letter
‘P’ on its own
(appearing in the two first quires), is dated by
Mildveden (1972, 12 n. 33)
to
1483
. A
letter ‘P’ with a cross (or a flower) over its stem
(appearing in the other quires) mostly resembles marks known from
Mainz
in
1477
,
Aachen
and
Marburg/Lahn
in
1488
, and
Wesel
in
1479
(
Piccard,
Buchstabe
P
, Abt. X, 133
;
Abt. XII, 33 and 561
(as has been pointed out
by
Heikkilä 2009, 229
).
One column with vertical bounding lines in ink. Number of lines
varies between 22 and 31, usually
c
. 28.
One main hand writing a cursive from the
second half of
saec. XV or first half of saec. XVI
. The scribe in question was
Nicolaus Jacobi Byrkop
, who signed his name in several
places (see below). Another, somewhat later, hand writes additions at the beginning
and end of the manuscript.
Simple red initials with occasional pen-drawn decoration. On fols.
, black cadel initials with flourishing in
red. Some rubrics are given in red, others in black; red ink is used for
highlighting of certain words; on fols.
,
rubrics, initials and significant letters are highlighted also with green.
Modern binding (
1882
by the National Library) with
modern pastedowns pasted over the old ones.
The manuscript shows several feasts that point towards the
Diocese of Turku
as its place of origin, for example, the high feast grade of St
Sunniva
and the
presence of text related to the feast of St
Henry
’s translation. It seems likely
that the manuscript was meant to complement the printed Dominican breviary used in
the diocese. A few offices known to have been celebrated in
Turku
are missing, but
for the most part the manuscript complements the parts missing from the diocese’s
printed
breviarium
. This also makes it an important source
for liturgy in the Diocese of Turku.
The small size, modest outlook, and the
placing of the saints in two different cycles suggests that the manuscript was
intended for personal use. The writing probably took place during the
second half of saec.
XV
. The scribe and owner was
Nicolaus Jacobi Byrkop
, who signed his name several
times in the margin. He may be the same person serving as a priest in