Ricemarch Psalter facts for kids
The Ricemarch Psalter is a very old and special book from the 11th century, made in Wales. It's a type of illuminated manuscript, which means it's a handwritten book with beautiful drawings and decorations. This book is a psalter, which contains the Book of Psalms from the Bible.
What makes the Ricemarch Psalter unique is its art style. It's described as "Hiberno-Danish" because it shows influences from both Irish (Hiberno) and Viking (Danish) art, rather than the usual "Hiberno-Saxon" style. The book has 159 pages made of vellum, which is a fine type of parchment made from animal skin.
The Psalter includes different parts, like letters and lists of saints. It's one of only two books that still exist from a special writing workshop (called a scriptorium) in Llanbadarn Fawr, Wales. This workshop was started by the father of the person who wrote this book. Today, you can find the Ricemarch Psalter at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.
How the Psalter Was Made
The Ricemarch Psalter was given as a gift between the years 1064 and 1082. A scribe, who was a person who copied books by hand, named Ithael gave it to his brother, Rhygyfarch. Rhygyfarch lived at a school in St. David's, Wales.
Their father, Sulien, later became a bishop. He had spent 13 years studying in Ireland. Because of his time there, the decorations in the Psalter are very much like the art styles popular in Ireland at that time.
The Art and Style of the Book
It's thought that Rhygyfarch might have written some parts of the book himself, as the handwriting changes a bit. He definitely wrote some poems that are included in the book.
The Psalter has large, colorful letters at the beginning of its pages. These letters are decorated with Celtic interlace patterns, which are like woven knots, often with animals mixed in. This style was common in illuminated manuscripts of that time.
It's believed that Ithael wrote the main text of the book. Another person named John likely created the big decorated letters and the small pictures, called miniatures. Even though the designs aren't super varied, experts who study old manuscripts think they are very well done and important.
Other famous illuminated manuscripts from Wales that are similar to the Ricemarch Psalter include the Lichfield Gospels and the Hereford Gospels.
