List of illuminated later Anglo-Saxon manuscripts facts for kids

Imagine books made by hand, filled with beautiful drawings and fancy letters! These are called illuminated manuscripts. This list tells you about special illuminated manuscripts made in Anglo-Saxon England between the years 900 and 1066. They were created in monasteries (places where monks lived) or by Anglo-Saxon scribes (people who copied books) and artists who worked in other parts of Europe. These old books are written in Latin and Old English.

Long ago, during the time of King Alfred the Great, there were many invasions in England. This made it hard to create new books. But when things settled down, people started making manuscripts again. The style of art changed from the older Insular style. The new art was inspired by Carolingian (from Charlemagne's time), Byzantine (from the Eastern Roman Empire), and Mediterranean art. Later, when the Norman Conquest happened in 1066, it changed English book-making again, ending the special Anglo-Saxon way of decorating books. You can learn more about this art in Anglo-Saxon art.

What Are Illuminated Manuscripts?

Illuminated manuscripts are handwritten books decorated with bright colors, gold, and silver. The word "illuminated" comes from the Latin word illuminare, which means "to light up." These books truly lit up the pages with their amazing artwork!

Who Made These Books?

Most illuminated manuscripts were made by scribes and illuminators in monasteries. Scribes carefully copied the text, often religious writings like the Gospels or Psalms. Illuminators then added the beautiful pictures, fancy initial letters, and borders. It was a very slow and detailed process, taking many months or even years to finish one book.

Why Were They So Important?

In Anglo-Saxon times, there were no printing presses. Every book had to be copied by hand. Illuminated manuscripts were not just books; they were also works of art. They helped spread religious teachings, preserve knowledge, and show the wealth and power of the churches and kings who ordered them. They give us a wonderful look into the art and culture of that time.

Finding Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts Today

This list includes many surviving manuscripts that have Anglo-Saxon pictures, drawings, or other important decorations. It also includes some examples of books with special Anglo-Saxon pen-work initials (fancy first letters of a chapter or section). These manuscripts are now kept in libraries and museums all over the world. They are organized here by where you can find them today.

Manuscripts in France

• Besançon
  • Bibliothèque Municipale
    • MS 14; A Gospel Book (a book containing the Gospels of the Bible), from the 10th and 11th centuries.
• Boulogne
  • Bibliothèque Municipale
    • MS 10; Another Gospel Book, from the 10th century.
• Paris
  • Bibliothèque Nationale
    • MS lat. 943; The Sherborne Pontifical, a book used by a bishop, from the 10th century.
    • MS lat. 8824; A Psalter (a book of Psalms), from the 11th century.

Manuscripts in England

• Cambridge
  • Corpus Christi College
    • MS 23; Poems by Prudentius, including Psychomachia, from the 10th century.
    • MS 411; A Psalter, from the 10th century.
  • Pembroke College
    • MS 302; The Hereford Gospels, a Gospel Book from around 1060.
  • Trinity College
    • MS B. 10. 4 (215); The Trinity Gospels, an 11th-century Gospel Book.
• Durham
  • Cathedral Library
    • MS A IV 19; A Collectar (a book of prayers), also known as the Durham Ritual, from the 10th century.
• London
  • British Library
    • Add MS 49598; The famous Benedictional of St. Æthelwold, a book of blessings from the 10th century.
    • Cotton Claudius MS B IV; The Old English Hexateuch, an illustrated version of the first six books of the Old Testament, from the early 11th century.
    • Cotton Vitellius MS A XV; The Nowell Codex, which contains the epic poem Beowulf, from the 10th century.
    • Harley MS 603; A Psalter from the 11th century.
    • Stowe MS 944; The New Minster Register, also called Liber Vitae (Book of Life), from the 11th century.
• Oxford
  • Bodleian Library
    • MS Auct. F. 4. 32 (S.C. 2176); St. Dunstan's Classbook, a very old book from the 9th–10th centuries.
    • MS Junius 11 (S.C. 5123); The Caedmon manuscript, containing Old English poems, from the 10th century.
    • MS Lat. lit. F. 5 (S.C. 29744); The St. Margaret Gospels, an 11th-century Gospel Book.
• Salisbury
  • Cathedral Library
    • MS 150; A Psalter from the 10th century.
• York
  • York Minster, Chapter Library
    • MS Add. 1; The York Gospels, an 11th-century Gospel Book.

Manuscripts in Other Countries

• Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Royal Library
    • G.K.S. 10, 2°; The Copenhagen Gospels, an 11th-century Gospel Book.
• Damme, Belgium
  • Musée van Maerlant
    • s.n.; A fragment of a Gospel Lectionary (a book of Gospel readings), from the 11th century.
• Florence, Italy
  • Biblioteca Mediceo Laurenziana
    • MS Plut. XVII. 20; A Gospel Lectionary, from the 11th century.
• Hanover, Germany
  • Kestner-Museum
    • WM XXIa 36; The Eadui Codex, an 11th-century manuscript.
• Leiden, Netherlands
  • Rijksuniversiteit
    • Cod. Scaligeranus 69; Aethici Istrici Cosmographia, a 10th-century text about the world.
• Monte Cassino, Italy
  • Archivo della Badia
    • MS BB. 437, 439; A Gospel Book from the 11th century.
• Munich, Germany
  • Staatsbibliothek
    • CLM. 29031b; Prudentius, Psychomachia, from the 10th century.
• New York, USA
  • Pierpont Morgan Library
    • M. 33; A Gospel Book from the 11th century.
    • MS 869; The Arenburg Gospels, a 10th-century Gospel Book.
• Vatican
  • Biblioteca Apostolica
    • MS Reg. lat. 12; The Bury Psalter, a book of Psalms.
• Vercelli, Italy
  • Cathedral
    • Codex CVII; A collection of Homilies (sermons) and poems in Old English, from the 10th century.
• Warsaw, Poland
  • Biblioteka Narodowa
    • MS I. 3311; An Evangeliary and Lectionary (books of Gospel readings), from the 11th century.