Urvija Banerji of Atlas Obscura shared recently the unusual story of how a man’s desire to flaunt his wealth became a book of Psalms.
Many people in the Middle Ages learned to read and worship by studying their psalters, or personal copies of the Book of Psalms, often collected together with other religious texts and a calendar of feast days. The intricately painted Luttrell Psalter, commissioned by an English lord in the 14th century, is one of the most beautiful surviving examples.
Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, a knight who was Lord of the Manor of Irnham in Lincolnshire, lived between the years 1276 and 1345. The title page of the psalter reveals that Luttrell felt his impending death was near, and commissioned the psalter to serve as a record of his life, grand as it was. However, the psalter is also populated by illustrations of laborers, now considered to be some of the most realistic depictions of pastoral life from that time.
The psalter was created over a period of several years, sometime between 1320 and 1345, by one scribe and at least five different artists, who each had slightly different styles. Its 309 vellum leaves are richly illustrated with quotidian scenes from Luttrell’s rural estate.
Luttrell ensured that the psalter was filled with evidence of his wealth. The above image, for example, shows a page illustrated with the lord himself mounted upon a war-horse and displaying his family’s arms. The words ‘Dominus Galfridus Louterell me fieri fecit’ (Lord Geoffrey Luttrell caused me to be made) caption the image as a friendly reminder as to who created the psalter.
You can read a digital version here or read the rest of the post on Atlas Obscura.
Cate Russell-Cole said:
When I did the King David Project, I watched a university lecture about illuminated Psalters and it was fascinating. I particularly loved the doodles the monk’s did on the pages. If you go to Wikimedia Commons and search for Psalms, many manuscript pages turn up. Some of the images are completely odd and who knows what they correspond to. It’s wonderful to look at, though.
Sadly the Psalms were replaced when the Book of Common Prayer came into fashion, which is a pity, as these books are masterpieces.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Indeed they are! I have a post scheduled with some more Medieval goodies,so keep tuning in 🙂
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Cate Russell-Cole said:
Oh, lovely!
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Sue Vincent said:
Reblogged this on Sue Vincent – Daily Echo.
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noelleg44 said:
What a unique work of art! We all too often forget that books or collections of the written word were rare in those days. Treasures for sure.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
During some of the darker pages of our history, people were actually persecuted (or even burned at the stake) for owing copies of the Bible, so they’re treasures indeed.
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Kate McClelland said:
Reblogged this on Kate McClelland.
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Micki Peluso said:
This was fascinating. I had never heard of this before. Thanks for an enjoyable and educational post.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Micki 🙂
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Carrie R said:
Thanks for sharing such an interesting bit of history!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Many thanks for reading – and welcome 🙂
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