Southampton Psalter facts for kids

The Southampton Psalter is a very old and special book from Ireland. It's a type of illuminated manuscript, which means it's a handwritten book with beautiful pictures and decorations. This book contains the 150 Psalms from the Bible. Today, you can find it at St John's College, Cambridge in Cambridge, England.

This picture compares the Crucifixion drawings in the St. Gall Gospel Book and the Southampton Psalter.

What is the Southampton Psalter?

The Southampton Psalter is a famous example of Insular art. This was a unique style of art from Ireland and Britain in the early Middle Ages. It's called a "Psalter" because it holds all 150 Psalms. These are ancient songs and prayers from the Old Testament of the Bible.

This special book is also an illuminated manuscript. This means it was carefully written by hand. It was then decorated with colorful pictures and fancy letters. These decorations make the book a true work of art.

How Old is This Book?

Experts have different ideas about when the Southampton Psalter was made.

• Some believe it was created in the ninth century (the 800s).
• Others think it's from the tenth century (the 900s).
• A few scholars even suggest it could be from the early eleventh century (the early 1000s).

No matter the exact date, it's certainly a very old and important historical item!

Amazing Artwork and Details

The Southampton Psalter is famous for its beautiful artwork. It has three full-page pictures, called miniatures. These pictures take up an entire page! The book also has many notes written in both Latin and Old Irish.

How the Psalms Are Organized

Following an old Irish tradition, the 150 Psalms in the book are divided into three groups. Each group has fifty Psalms.

• Each of these three sections starts with a full-page picture.
• Facing this picture is a page of text. This text page has a fancy, decorated first letter (called an initial) and a beautiful border around it.

The Style of the Pictures

The people and animals in the pictures are drawn in a very special way. They are "stylized," which means they are not meant to look exactly real. Instead, they have a unique, artistic look. This style was very common in Irish manuscripts from that time. The artists used a limited palette of colors. They mostly painted with shades of yellow, purple, and red.

What the Pictures Show

The three main full-page pictures in the Psalter show important scenes:

• One picture shows David with animals in two different scenes. David was a famous king and a writer of many Psalms.
• Another picture shows the Crucifixion of Jesus. This is a very important scene in Christian history.
• The third picture shows David fighting the giant Goliath. This is a famous story about courage and faith.

These pictures help us understand the stories and beliefs of the people who created and used this ancient book.