AUTHOR: ANONYMOUS NUN

LANGUAGE: SWEDISH

DATE: 1510 AD

PAGE #: 355

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS:

VIEW MANUSCRIPT IN THE DIGITAL LIBRARY

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE 1510 MANUSCRIPT, THE GARDEN OF THE VIRGIN MARY, IS THE WORK OF AN ANONYMOUS NUN AT THE BRIGITTINE MONASTERY OF VADSTENA IN EASTERN GOTALAND, SWEDEN. IT IS THE SOLE SURVIVING SOURCE FOR THE SWEDISH PSALMS, COLLECTS AND LESSONS, HYMNS, AND COMMENTARIES. IT WAS USED DAILY BY THE NUNS AT THE MONASTERY. FROM THE LATE 14TH CENTURY TO ABOUT 1530, THE VADSTENA MONASTERY CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT IF A NASCENT SWEDISH CULTURAL IDENTITY, LARGELY THROUGH THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS DEVELOPED AND TAUGHT THERE. MOST OF THE NUNS HAD LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF LATIN, SO SUITABLE DIVINE LITERATURE HAD TO BE TRANSLATED OR ORIGINALLY COMPOSED IN SWEDISH. A FEW OF THE NUNS WERE SKILLED SCRIBES WHO USED A CHARACTERISTIC SLOPED CURSIVE SCRIPT, WITH A BROAD-NIBBED PEN, AND STRONG PERPENDICULAR STROKES. THE MAJOR PART OF THIS MANUSCRIPT IS UNDECORATED, IT DOES INCLUDE FINELY DECORATED BORDERS AND INITIAL CAPITALS, AS WELL AS SEVERAL RICHLY ADORNED MINIATURES, SOME SHOWING REVERED IMAGES AND OTHERS WERE SCENES OF THE MONASTIC LIFE. THE MONASTERY, WHICH INITIALLY HAD A SECTION OF MONKS AS WELL AS THE SECTION FOR THE NUNS, EVENTUALLY FELL VICTIM TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION AND ROYAL EDICTS WHICH LED IT TO CLOSE IN THE LATE 16TH CENTURY.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.