11. Calendars and almanacs
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11.1. Babylonian almanacs and calendars
- MS 2226 Assyria, 705-681 BC
- See MS 1692, Mexico, 1525-1550
- MS 1371
North France, mid 13th c.
See also MS 710, Yorkshire, 1300-1307
See also MS 673, Essex, 1405-1410 - MS
1581 Yorkshire, ca. 1425
See also MS 039, Belgium, 15th c. - MS 1372 Tyrol, 2nd half 15th c.
- See also MS 013 Tours, ca. 1480
- MS 1577 Sweden, ca. 1500
- MS 2913 Norway, 1636
11.1. Babylonian almanacs and calendars
LIST OF MONTH NAMES FOR THE LAGASH (LARSA?) CALENDAR, INCLUDING THE EXTRA 13TH MONTH
MS in Neo Sumerian on clay, Lagash?, Babylonia, 2000-1600 BC, 1 tablet, 7,0x4,5x2,5 cm, single column, 9+4 lines in cuneiform script.
Context: For a list of the 12 month names of the Old Babylonian calendar, see MS 2781.
THE MIDDLE BABYLONIAN ALMANAC
LIST OF THE 12 MONTHS OF THE BABYLONIAN CALENDAR IN ORDER, EACH FOLLOWED BY THE FAVOURABLE DAYS ON WHICH ONE CAN HOPE FOR A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF ANY ACTIVITY UNDERTAKEN
MS in Middle Babylonian on black stone, Babylonia, ca. 1100-800 BC, 1 tablet, 7,1x17,2x1,7 cm, 2 columns, 12 lines in cuneiform script, with a loop handle at the right side formed like a crouching lion, with the hole from mouth to anus.
Context: For the Neo Assyrian almanac, see MS 2226.
For a list of
month names of the Old Babylonian Lagash calendar, including the extra 13th
month, see MS 4151.
Commentary: Other copies of this text exist, and none agree fully with the others.
THE NEO-ASSYRIAN ALMANAC
PROPITIOUS MONTHS AND DAYS FOR ACTIVITIES DURING THE WHOLE YEAR, SUCH AS: IF HE BRINGS HIS WIFE INTO HIS HOUSE, IF A BABY IS BORN, IF HE RECITES THE SHIGU-PRAYER, ETC.
MS in Neo-Assyrian on fine yellow-coloured clay, Nimrod, Assyria, 705-681 BC, 1 tablet, lower left-hand part, 8,1x6,9x2,6 cm, 7 and 2 columns, 18+17+18 lines in a magnificent cuneiform script by the scribe, Nabû-zuqup-kena.
Context: The present tablet joins the lower right-hand piece, K 98, now in British Museum, published by A.H. Sayce in Zeitschrift für Assyriologie, 2 (1887), pp. 333-35.
For the Middle Babylonian almanac, see MS 2781.
Commentary: Colophon: Favourable days for doing what one wants, or on which any one may attain his wish: favourable: together with 25 lines of commentary on it. Extracts from "If he destroys and builds" based on many tablets, "If a city is set on a hill", "If he destroys and builds", and "Favourable (Days)". An original of Babylon, belonging to Nabû-zuqup-kena, scribe. Cfr. MS 1687, tablet no. 66 in the series "If a town is situated on a hill".
Nabû-zuqup-kena was a well known Assyrian scribe. His grandfather Gabbi-ilani-eresh had been chief scribe to the kings Tukulti-Ninurta II and Ashurnasirpal II (891-859 BC). His grandson, Ishtar-shumu-eresh, son of Nabû-zeru-lsir, was a major expert and advisor to the kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal (669-631 BC), titled scribe. Nabû-zuqup-kena seems to have been less active as a royal advisor, but more devoted to training royal scribes and copying texts. He records in one colophon that he strained his eyesight copying out texts for the education of his son Ishtar-shumu-eresh. Nabû-zuqup-kena's private library was largely taken over by king Ashurbanipal, when he began to collect his royal library.
Exhibited: "The Story of Time", Queen's House at the National Maritime Museum and The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Dec. 1999 - Sept. 2000.
See MS 1692, Name glyphs from the Aztec calendar, Mexico, 1525-1550
| 1. | BIBLE: PSALMS WITH CALENDAR, CANTICLES AND LITANY |
| 2. | YOU HAVE BEEN AGAIN TO ME UNKIND, LOVE POEM |
| 3. | OFFER OF INDULGENCE, DATED 1356 |
| 4. | CONFESSION TO THE 7 DEADLY SINS |
| 5. | CONFESSION OF SINNING AGAINST THE TEN COMMANDMENTS |
| 6. | THE TEN COMMANDMENTS |
| 7. | CONFESSION OF SINNING WITH THE 5 SENSES |
| 8. | CONFESSION OF SINNING AGAINST THE WORKS OF MERCY |
MS in Latin (texts 1, 3) and Middle English (texts 2, 4-8) on vellum, Arras or St. Omer, North France, mid 13th c. (text 1), England, 1356 (text 3) & 15th c. (texts 2, 4-8), 208 ff. (-5), 12x9 cm, single column, (8x5 cm), 18 lines in Gothic book script of medium grade and quality by 2 scribes, versal capitals throughout in burnished gold or blue with penwork, linefillers throughout in red, blue and gold, about 180 illuminated initials in thickly raised burnished gold on red and blue grounds, often with full-length bar borders, 6 calendar miniatures, and 9 large historiated initials in gold and colours with 3/4 borders with grotesques.
Binding: England, 18th c., blindstamped calf, sewn on 4 thongs.
Provenance: 1. Probably Longbriddy Church, Dorset (16th c.) ; 2. Thomas Weld of Lulworth Castle, Dorset (d. 1810) and his descendants (until 1980); 3. Sotheby's 24.6.1980:55; 4. Sotheby's 18.6.1991:121.
Commentary: Texts 5, 7, and 8 are unique and unpublished.
See also MS 710, Magna Carta with calendar, Yorkshire, 1300-1307
See also MS 673, Missal with list of festival days, Essex, 1405-1410
- CALENDAR WITH NAMES AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS, ZODIAC SIGNS AND OCCUPATIONS OF THE MONTHS, HOURS AND MINUTES OF DAYLIGHT, GOLDEN NUMBERS, DOMINICAL LETTERS AND THREE 19-YEAR CYCLES (1425-1481) OF CONJUNCTIONS OF THE SUN AND THE MOON, EACH WITH THE YEAR, HOUR AND MINUTE
- TABLE OF DOMINICAL LETTERS
- LUNARY WITH TABLES OF SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSES FOR THE YEARS 1425-1481, WITH NUMBERS OF DAYS, HOURS, AND MINUTES, AND THE MONTHS ILLUSTRATED BY TOOLS RELATING TO THE OCCUPATIONS
- CALENDAR CHART RELATING THE ZODIAC TO THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE YEAR, ILLUSTRATING THE TOOLS, WITHOUT MOVING VOLVELLE
- ZODIAC MAN WITH THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC RELATING TO PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY
- PROGNOSTICATION TABLE IN ORDER OF THE DOMINICAL LETTER, WITH PICTORIALISED PROPHESIES PREDICTING THE SCALE OF THE HARVESTS, DISASTERS, WARS, AND OTHER EVENTS
- PICTORIAL CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND FROM WILLIAM I TO HENRY VI
- PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD INCLUDING A T-O MAP AND PORTRAITS OF ST. AUGUSTINE, ST. THOMAS BECKET AND THOMAS OF LANCASTER
MS in Latin on vellum, York or Ripon, Yorkshire, ca. 1425, 37 ff. (complete), 15x11 cm, single column, (10x9 cm), 7-21 lines in a rotunda Gothic book script of medium quality, 136 drawings of animals, beehives, wheatfields, tools, moons, churches, ships, shipwrecks, fires, etc. in gold, silver and colours with green dominating, 114 miniatures of saints, kings, commoners, etc., and 1 full-page miniature of the zodiac man, all in gold, silver and colours.
Binding: England, early 19th c., russia, sewn on 4 cords.
Context: From a possible Scandinavian archetype of 13th or 14th c., there was copied the English girdle calendar of Harry the Haywarde from 1389, Bodleian Library Rawlinson D. 939. From this was copied BL Royal 17.A.XVI dated 1420 and BL Harley 2332 dated 1412. From the latter the present MS was copied. From either MS 1581 or BL Royal 17.A.XVI was copied E.F. Bosauquet MS dated 1433, which possibly was the exemplar of the first printed calendar with woodcuts, ca. 1500, Bodleian MS Douce A 632 and 3 copies in BL. This might have been the exemplar of the Scandinavian MS calendars: the oldest Danish girdle calendar from 1513, which again is related to 2 Norwegian girdle calendars dated 1558: The Hegra Calendar and the Oslo Calendar, as well as MS 2913. (John B. Friedman: Harry the Haywarde and Talbat his dog, in: Art into Life, ed. C.G. Fisher and K.L. Scott, Michigan State University Press, 1995.)
Provenance: 1. William Tresham, Yorkshire (ca. 1500); 2. W.K. Bixby, St. Louis, Missouri (1906-1917); 3. Bixby sale, New York 26.2.1917; 4. Sotheby's 24.6.1986:68; 5. H.P. Kraus, New York (1986-1990); 6. Sam Fogg cat. 14(1991):17.
Exhibited: "The Story of Time", Queen's House at the National Maritime Museum and The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Dec. 1999 - Sept. 2000.
See also MS 039, Psalms with calendar, Belgium, 15th c.
MISSAL, USE OF ROMA, PRECEDED BY A CALENDAR
MS in Latin on vellum, Southern Tyrol, Austria, 2nd half of 15th c., 107 ff. (-4), 30x21 cm, 2 columns, (19x13 cm + 21x15 cm), 27 and 37 lines in a rounded Gothic book script of medium grade and quality, 2- to 6-line painted initials in red, blue or green throughout, some with flourishes or penwork.
Binding: Southern Tyrol, Austria, 2nd half of 15th c., tawed skin, once dyed green, over slightly bevelled wooden boards, sewn on 3 double thongs, tabs at top and bottom of spine for storage in a book-chest, the wood reused from an earlier binding.
Provenance: 1. Sotheby's 18.6.1991:127.
See also MS 013, Calendar in the Cathérine de Médici hours. Tours, ca. 1480
CALENDAR WITH WEEKDAYS, GOLDEN NUMBERS, TABULA SIGNORUM, SOLAR CIRCLE, AND FEAST DAYS
MS in Swedish on ivory, Sweden, ca. 1500, 9 ff., 6x12 cm, single column, (6x11 cm), 4-6 lines in Runes of the younger Futhark, some saints' names added later in French in capitals, 1 solar circle drawn like a ropework spiked wheel with solar numbers in runes, another drawn like a spiked wheel with solar numbers in Gothic book script of medium to low grade and quality, 32 feast day symbols indicated with symbols, runes, crosses and fishes in black and red, 80 drawings of saints in black and red copied after a Flemish book of hours, use of Brughes.
Binding: Sweden, ca. 1500, ivory covers fastened with a modern string through 2 holes, astronomic diagrams on both covers.
Provenance: 1. Charles Ratton Collection, Paris (d. 1984); 2. Sandra Hindman, Chicago (1991-).
Commentary: Calendars in bookform made on ivory are of the utmost rarity. This is probably the most extensively illustrated example extant, and the only specimen in private hands.
Exhibited: "The Story of Time", Queen's House at the National Maritime Museum and The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Dec. 1999 - Sept. 2000.
CALENDAR WITH GOLDEN NUMBERS, FEASTDAYS, OCCUPATIONS OF THE MONTHS AND HOURS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS, TABLE WITH GOOD AND EVIL DAYS
MS in Norwegian and Latin on vellum, Uvdal, Norway, 1636, 30 ff. (complete), 5,5x5,5 cm, single column, (5x5 cm), 15 lines in capitals, Norwegian Gothic cursive script and a variant of Roman numbers, 80 miniatures of saints or their symbols, 12 circular diagrams, 12 miniatures of the occupations of the months, all in full colours; the book flattens out into a long strip, 67x11 cm, each section cut and folded around each month.
Binding: Norway, 1636, not bound but plied together to form a book, in its original girdle type leather covered wooden box.
Context: Very similar to 2 Norwegian girdle calendars dated 1558: the Hegra Calendar in Trondheim, Det Kgl. Norske Videnskabers Selskabs Bibliotek, and the Oslo Calendar, cf. MS 1581. Layout and illustrations are nearly identical, but the two earlier calendars are rather crudely executed compared to the present one.
Provenance: 1. Sotheby's (private treaty sale).
Commentary: The feast day of St. Olav, 29 July is marked with an axe and "S. OLOF", as usual in Norwegian calendars. A scribal colophon states: " Er giord i Ufdhall A. 1636", Made in Uvdal anno 1636. In 1696 tables for solar circle, Sunday letters for 1696-1704 and for 1696-1716 were added.
CALENDAR WITH WEEKDAYS, FEASTDAYS AND GOLDEN NUMBERS
MS in Swedish on brass, Sweden, 1540, 1 clog, 24x3x1 cm, single column, (23x3 cm), 2+2 lines in runes from the younger futhark of high quality, 95 feastday symbols.
Provenance: 1. T.T.H., Sweden (1593); 2. E.E.H.S., Sweden (1611); 3. Arne Gurholt, Oslo.
Commentary: Runic clogs of brass of this early date are known by 1 or 2 copies in public Swedish collections only.
| 1. | CALENDAR WITH WEEKDAYS, FEASTDAYS AND GOLDEN NUMBERS |
| 2. | FUTHARK (RUNIC ABECEDARY) |
MS in Norwegian on birch wood, Norway, 17th c., 1 septagonal clog with round handle and iron shoe at the end, 4x123 cm, (4x95 cm), 5 long lines in runes from the younger futhark, 46 feastday symbols, including the 2 St. Olav axes, marked S.L.
Provenance: 1. S.L. (17th c.); 2. Bjørn Smith, Oslo.
Commentary: The 2 St. Olav axes, 29 July and 3 August, represent the most conclusive evidence of Norwegian origin. Runes are normally used for weekdays and golden numbers in Swedish calendars. In Norway they occur rarely.
CALENDAR WITH WEEKDAYS AND FEASTDAYS
MS in Norwegian on birch wood, Norway, 1647, 1 2-sided clog with round handle, 5x113x3 cm, originally 5x128 cm, (4x93 cm, originally 4x108 cm), 4 long lines in runes from the younger futhark, 44 feastday symbols, the 2 narrow sides filled with ownership initials and years, handle woodcarved in knotwork design.
Provenance: 1. PA Sønn & M.F.Sønn & NM Datter, Norway (1647); 2. P.I. Sønn, Norway (1668); 3. PI Sønn, H.M. Sønn & IM Sønn & IM Sønn & PM Sønn & KI Datter & MI Sønn & IE Sønn, Norway (1669); 4. MP Sønn & AL Datter & OP sønn & KI Datter & OP sønn, Norway (1708); 5. I.I. sønn, Norway (1715); 6. HI Sønn & OM sønn & PM sønn, Norway (1723); 7. RMSønn, Norway (1727); 8. Kaare Berntsen Sr. Collection, Oslo; 9. Kaare Berntsen Jr. Collection, Oslo; 10. Kaare Herskedal, Oslo.
Commentary: The feastday symbols point to a Norwegian origin. The 2 St. Olav axes, 29 July and 3 August, which represent the most conclusive evidence of Norwegian origin, would have been at the missing part of the clog. Runes are normally used for weekdays and golden numbers in Swedish calendars. In Norway they occur rarely.
| 1. | DESCRIPTION DU CALENDRIER RUNIQUE, TRADUIT DU SUÉDOIS |
| 2. | LE JEU DU ST. PIÈRRE |
| 3. | CALENDAR WITH WEEKDAYS, GOLDEN NUMBERS, FEASTDAYS, OCCUPATIONS OF THE MONTHS, NUMBER OF HOURS WITH DAYLIGHT AND DARKNESS FOR EACH MONTH, AND ZODIAC SIGNS |
MS in French (texts 1-2) and Swedish (text 3) on paper; texts 1-2: France, ca. 1800, 9 ff., 32x20 cm, single column, (30x15 cm), up to 40 lines in French cursive script, 8 lines with runes of the younger futhark; text 3: printed, Sweden, 17th c., 1 f., 19x32 cm, 2 columns, (17x30 cm), 12 lines in runic numbers of the younger futhark, 12 solar and lunar circles, 124 symbols of feastdays and occupations of the months.
Binding: France, ca. 1800, marbled paper over cardboard, sewn on 5 cords.
Context: Text 3 circulated in Sweden in the 17th c. For an exact copy on a calendar clog, see MS 592/2, that has an axehead in one end and a spike in the other having been used by a supervisor in a Swedish copper mine.
Provenance: 1. Sir Thomas Phillipps, Cheltenham, Ph 13591 (-1872); 2. Katharine, John, Thomas & Alan Fenwick, Cheltenham, (1872-1946); 3. Robinson Bros., London (1946-1977); 4. Sotheby's 27.6.1977:4995; 5. Quaritch, London (1977-); 6. Sam Fogg Rare Books Ltd., London.
Commentary: No Swedish original has been traced.