2 folios. Ca. 22 x ca. 36 cm. 1 column, 10 lines. The bottom and outer edges of the bif. have been cut out. Original texts erased for the cameral headline.
15th C**. Large initials: 1) dark blue with touches of green, and 2) red. Small initials are highlighted with straw yellow. Quadratic notation on a red four-line staff (17-17.5 mm, ruled with a rastrum), b rotundum, custos, linea. Chant incipits are indicated by duplex lineae. Photograph off. 2 on p. 189.
ANTIPHONARIUM, Swedish or Finnish.
At the provincial council of Arboga in 1423 the Saturday office of the Blessed Virgin (Stella Maria maris, on its origin see Milveden 1972 (a), especially pp. 27-28, and idem 1972 (b) pp. 10-12) was required to be adopted to all secular breviaries of the province. Apparently the office was previously sung only in the diocese of Skara. Reuterdahl 1841 p. 118. The claim was renewed by the provincial statutes of 1441-1448, idem p. 160. According to Helander, however, the use of the office became general only "at the end of the Middle Ages" (translation), Helander 1957 p. 90, also n. 5. Idem 2001pp. 179-180.
On the account of the feast Finding of the Holy Cross this Ms. cannot originate in the diocese of Skara (Breviarium Scarense 1498 ff. CCXXVT'- CCXXVIP).Thus it is obvious that the codex was produced after the said council, perhaps at the end of the 15th century. Cf. the date below assigned by Milveden.
As far as we can say, at least two "little offices" of the Blessed Virgin (officia parva) were sung in Finland (at different times and in different places ?) in the diocesan use. One of them was the same as in this fragment, surviving also in a Ms. supplement to an uncatalogued Psalteriian Upsalense (secondary provenance Finland, printed ca. 1487) in HUL, on ff. 101-102".The other was the Dominican one, see Antiphoners Nos. 68, 94, 113, 160 (prov. Finland), 172 (prov. Finland), and 203 (prov. Finland). So far we do not know what variant is meant in the chronicle of medieval bishops of Finland, Catalogus et ordinaria successio episcoporum Finlandensium, compiled by bishop Juusten ca. 1565. He states that during the incumbency of Conradus Bitz 1460-1489 "horas gloriosissimae virginis Mariae [...] in perpetuis temporibus decantandas" were instituted for the All Saints'Choir in Abo cathedral. Juusten 1988 p. 63. According to the following sources it is very likely that Juusten was referring to regular and daily hours of St. Mary: Finlands medeltidsurkunder V1928 Nos. 4027 and 4028 (written in 1485), Rinne 1948 pp. 238 and 246, Codex Särkilahti 1952 pp. 253 and 254.
Traditionally the Saturday hours of the Blessed Virgin were not sung from the Christmas vigil to the octave of Epiphany, from Ash Wednesday to Low Sunday, from Pentecost to Trinity Sunday, on any feast-day of St. Mary herself, or on a saint's day of duplex or totum duplex rank. Sisters of the Nådendal cloister sang their weekly Cantus sororum, the cycle of the Bridgettine little offices, described in Offiicium parvum 1 i II 1976, for instance.
The sequence of the two observances in this fragment is exceptional, because their location in the same double leaf does not allow much room for the offices following the Finding of the Holy Cross (3rd of May) in the sanctorale. It is possible that this section of the original manuscript was not arranged strictly according to the calendar. F. 1 [Inventionis crucis] beginning with the 2nd ant. of the nocturn, Adorcmus te xpiste, and ending in the 3rd resp., O crux benedicta. but the passage cannot be identified because of the fragmentary state of the leaf. F. 2 [De beata Maria in sabbatis] beginning with the 1st resp. of the I noct., Mjstice prophetica VTe vox, and ending in the 1st resp. of the II noct.. \l\argarita fulgida], but the passage cannot be identified because of the fragmentary state of the leaf. Analecta hymnica V 1889 No. 21. Breviarium Lincopense 1950-1958 p. 856 states on this office: "Et hystoria Stella maria maris, imponitur statini post octauam epyphanie."The office was formerly attributed to bishop Brynolphus ot Skara (d. 1317), but Dr. Milveden has suggested that its place of origin might be the Franciscan convent of Lund (Denmark).
F. 1'Cf. 5820."Mårthen Knutsons Reckenskap för Wijborgz Biörköö och Säckierff Sochner [...] Wijborgz Län [...] 1603". Etc."Finland 1603 No 2"."Gabriel [?] Marthensonn [?| förhörde in [...[ anno etc 1605...
Lit.: Milveden 1972 (a) p.29 n. 7, and p. 33 n. 13; Idem 1972 (b); Dr. Milveden assigned this Ms. to the first half of the 15th century (cf. above) and mentioned the possibility that the codex was owned by the Franciscan convent at Viborg in eastern Finland (now in Russia). He based his opinion firstly on the Saturday office, and secondly on the fact that the structure of the Holy Cross office does not agree with the use of Abo. -The present writer would like to add that the latter office does not agree with that of the Franciscans either.
DATE: Probably after 1423 or 1441-1448. LITURGICAL USE: Sweden or diocese of Åbo suggested; not diocese of Skara. ORIGIN: Added according to liturgical use.