Gospels of Máel Brigte

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The illuminated Chi Rho monogram for Matthew 1:18 on folio 10 recto of the Gospels of Máel Brigte

The Gospels of Máel Brigte (

Harley MS 1802, also known as the Armagh Gospels and the Marelbrid Gospels) is an illuminated Gospel Book, with glosses
.

It was created c. 1138,

Irish
.

Composition

There are 156

minuscule
hand. The binding of red leather with gilt tooling is post-medieval.

Contents

In addition to the text of the Gospels, the manuscript includes several pieces of prefatory material. The Genealogy of Jesus found at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:1-17) is treated as a separate work than the rest of Matthew and is separated from the main text of Matthew.

The prefatory material includes:

Twelve Apostles
(folio 9v).

The gospel prologues do not precede each gospel, as in many other insular manuscripts, but are gathered together with other prefatory material. Following the prefatory material, the Gospel of Matthew starts at the beginning of the Nativity narrative at Matthew 1:18 (folio 10r), and is followed by the complete texts of the Gospels of Mark (folio 61r), Luke (folio 87r) and John (folio 128r).

At the end of each Gospel there are

Cormac Mac Cárthaig by Toirdelbach Ua Briain
which allow the writing of the manuscript to be dated to 1138. Marginal and interlinear glosses and notes were added in the 13th century.

Style

The manuscript is decorated in

Evangelist symbols, the lion of Mark (folio 60) and the ox of Luke
(folio 86). In both of the miniatures, the artist has solved the problem presented by placing horizontally oriented animals in the space of the vertically oriented page by turning the animals ninety degrees so that they seem to walk up the page. Both symbols are abstracted, placed against an abstract multi-colored background, and contained within a thick border made of decorated panels.

There are also four large zoomorphic

Nativity of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:18, folio 10r), and the beginning of each of the other Gospels (folios 61r, 87r, and 128r). There are smaller initials at beginning of each section of the prefatory material, and at important texts within the Gospel, including the Pater Noster in Matthew (folio 19r), the Magnificat in the Luke (folio 88r), and the beginning of the Resurrection
sequence in Luke. Other initials in the manuscript are highlighted in color. All of the decoration in the manuscript is done in green, red, brown, and yellow washes.

History

The manuscript was in the

Act of Parliament and became one of the foundational collections for the British Museum and later the British Library
.

Notes and references

Notes

Citations

  1. ^ The British Library.
  2. ^ Reeves 1836–1869, p. 67.
  3. ^ Harleian Trustees 1759, pp. 2–75.

Primary sources

  • The British Library. "Detailed record for Harley 1802, Gospels of Maelbrigte (the 'Armagh Gospels'; 'Marelbrid Gospels'), with glosses". The British Library.

Secondary sources

Gallery

  • Folio 1 recto.
    Folio 1 recto.
  • Folio 3 recto.
    Folio 3 recto.
  • Folio 10 recto.
    Folio 10 recto.
  • Folio 60 verso.
    Folio 60 verso.
  • Folio 61 recto.
    Folio 61 recto.
  • Folio 86 verso.
    Folio 86 verso.
  • Folio 87 recto.
    Folio 87 recto.
  • Folio 128 recto.
    Folio 128 recto.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gospels_of_Máel_Brigte&oldid=1155486399"