Southampton Psalter
Encyclopedia
The Southampton Psalter is an Insular
illuminated
Psalter
from Ireland. It is asserted by some to be from ninth-century in date, while other scholars have argued for a tenth- or even early eleventh-century dating. It has illuminations including three full page miniatures and also contains numerous annotations in both Latin
and Old Irish.
In the tradition of Irish psalters, the 150 psalms are divided into three groups of fifty, each headed by a full-page miniature facing a text page with decorated initial
and border. The figures in the miniatures are highly stylised in the tradition of Irish manuscripts at this time, and painted in a palette of yellow, purple and red. The three full page miniatures show David
in two scenes with animals, a Crucifixion of Jesus
and David and Goliath.
Insular art
Insular art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, is the style of art produced in the post-Roman history of Ireland and Great Britain. The term derives from insula, the Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland shared a largely common style different from that of the rest of Europe...
illuminated
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
from Ireland. It is asserted by some to be from ninth-century in date, while other scholars have argued for a tenth- or even early eleventh-century dating. It has illuminations including three full page miniatures and also contains numerous annotations in both Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Old Irish.
In the tradition of Irish psalters, the 150 psalms are divided into three groups of fifty, each headed by a full-page miniature facing a text page with decorated initial
Initial
In a written or published work, an initial is a letter at the beginning of a work, a chapter, or a paragraph that is larger than the rest of the text. The word is derived from the Latin initialis, which means standing at the beginning...
and border. The figures in the miniatures are highly stylised in the tradition of Irish manuscripts at this time, and painted in a palette of yellow, purple and red. The three full page miniatures show David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
in two scenes with animals, a Crucifixion of Jesus
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
and David and Goliath.
Further reading
- Duncan, E. The Southampton Psalter: a Palaeographical and Codicological Exploration. Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic Manuscript-Studies 4. Cambridge, 2004.