Schuttern Gospels facts for kids
The Schuttern Gospels (British Library, Add MS 47673) is a very old and special book from the early 800s. It's an illuminated manuscript, which means it's a handwritten book with amazing decorations and pictures. This book contains the four Gospels from the Christian Bible. It was made at a place called Schuttern Abbey in Baden, Germany. A note inside the book, called a colophon, says that a church helper named Liutharius wrote it. He did this because his abbot, Bertricus, asked him to. An abbot is the leader of a monastery.
Contents
How the Book Was Made
This ancient book is a codex, which is like a modern book with pages bound together. It has 211 pages, called folios, made from vellum. Vellum is a very fine type of parchment, made from animal skin. Each page is about 300 millimeters (about 12 inches) tall and 215 millimeters (about 8.5 inches) wide.
The pages were put together in groups called quires. Most quires had eight pages. The book was given a new cover in the mid-1800s. This cover is made of purple leather.
What's Inside the Schuttern Gospels
The Schuttern Gospels contains the full text of the four Gospels in Latin. These are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It also includes special tables and summaries that help readers understand the text.
The words are written in two columns on each page. There are 25 lines in each column. The writing style is called Carolingian minuscule. This was a very clear and neat way of writing that was popular in Europe around the time the book was made. It also has some older writing styles mixed in.
Beautiful Decorations
This manuscript is famous for its beautiful decorations. It has special tables with arch designs, like small buildings. The book also features large, fancy first letters at the beginning of sections. These letters are decorated with swirling patterns and pictures of animals and birds. These designs are similar to art found in older Irish and British manuscripts.
One page, folio 19v, has a very large and decorated Chi Rho monogram. This is a special symbol for Jesus Christ. It marks the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew.
Unlike some other famous illuminated books, the Schuttern Gospels does not have full-page pictures of the Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Instead, it has colorful rectangular panels. These panels are purple and indigo with borders. Inside them, there are quotes from the Book of Psalms written in white letters. For example, the panel for Matthew's Gospel has verses from Psalm 67 and Psalm 31.
The Book's Journey Through Time
We know a lot about where this book came from, which is called its provenance. The note inside the book, written by Liutharius, tells us he wrote it for Abbot Bertricus. Both Liutharius and Bertricus are on a list of monks from Schuttern Abbey from the early 800s. This list is kept at the monastery of Reichenau.
The book stayed at Schuttern Abbey for a long time. In the 1200s, a record for the abbey was even written on one of its pages. Later, in the 1700s, a collector named Thomas Coke bought the manuscript. It became part of his large library at Holkham Hall.
Eventually, the British Library bought the Schuttern Gospels. It was one of 12 important manuscripts they acquired from Holkham Hall. Today, you can find it in the British Library, where it is carefully preserved.
