Folia Canonica 12. (2009)
STUDIES - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi: Medieval canon law heritage of the Norbertine Abbey of Weissenau in the hermitage of St. Petersburg
126 SZABOLCS ANZELM SZÚROM! 3. Peculiarities of the Ermit. lat. 12 The Ermit. lat. 12 is a unique textual witness of the basic canonical knowledge of a Norbertine religious community. The compilation summarizes the biblical readings (i.e. Lectionarium) with canonical norms and customs about the daily administration of the sacraments and sacramentals, as well as the common prayers which sanctified the whole day, particular liturgical rules and the precise schedule of the day, week, or the entire year (i.e. Manuale Parochialium). The compiled biblical texts, disciplinary sources, theological statements and inveterate customs which are registered in this handbook can give a clear overview on the daily life of the community of the canons regular in Weissenau, particularly about their canon law culture. The Ermit. lat. 12 is a 13th—14th century manuscript which was rebound in the same form as we have already seen concerning the Ermit. lat. 26. The cover of the codex, therefore, comes probably from the 17th century, is made from wood on both sides which had been adorned with white leather and brass clasps. There is a possessor’s inscription on the back side of the front cover (Biblioth. Weissenau) and we can find there the same red sealing wax of the Abbey of Weissenau which is in the Ermit. lat. 26 too. The whole codex contains 235 folios and was trimmed; hence, a strip about 15 mm wide is missing from the original margins of the twelve-folio quires (six bi-folios). The size of the folios is 470 x 420 mm, and the ruling is deep. The elaboration of the parchment is not regulated: some parts are quite thin and refined,47 but some are thick.48 Based on the quality of the parchments and the script style, the place of origin is probably the Low Countries. The texts are organized into two columns — except on foil. 149r-156v where there is only one column — and testify to the work of seven different hands. The first and earliest hand certainly comes from the first part of the 13th century and appears as the basic hand on fol. Ira (n° l).49 After the first quire, the script style changes from fol. 13ra, and the copier uses smaller letters with peculiarities belonging to the second part of the 13th century (n° 2).50 On fol. 63ra, we can identify a new hand also from the second part of the 13th century (n°3);51 then there is another hand on fol. 157 from the first part of the 14th century (n° 4).52 On fol. 169ra begins the parochial manual (i.e. Incipit manualparrochialium sacerdotum) which was inserted by a hand which has peculiarities of the first part of the 13th century but differs from the first hand of the analyzed manuscript (n° 5).53 This hand finishes the 47E.g., Ermit. lat. 12, foil. lra-62vb, 157ra-168vb. 48 E.g. Ermit. lat. 12, foil. 149ra-156vb. 49 Ermit. lat. 12, foil. lra-12vb. “Ermit. lat. 12, foil. 13ra-26vb. 51 Ermit. lat. 12, foil. 63ra-156vb. “Ermit. lat. 12, foil. 157ra-168vb. 53 Ermit. lat. 12, foil. 169ra-211vb.
