The Sherborne Missal (BL Add. MS 74236)

Robin (then called a roddoke), from p. 26.

Colloquial name(s): The Sherborne Missal

Official name(s): British Library Additional MS 74236

Date: c. 1400-1407 (source), c. 1399-1407 (source)

Origin: made for the Benedictine abbey, St. Mary's Abbey, in Sherborne, Dorset, England (source) 

Online facsimile available via: British Library Virtual Book (pages 1-32 only) or British Library 'Turning the Pages' version (pages 1-33 only) (currently there is no full facsimile available anywhere online)

Bible Historiale (The Hague, MMW 10 B 23)

David besieges Jerusalem, f. 144r.

Colloquial name(s): Bible Historiale, History Bible

Official name(s): The Hague, Museum Meermanno Westeenianum, 10 B 23

Date: 1371-1372 (source)

Origin: France (source)

Online facsimile available via: Museum Meermanno Westeenianum (full facsimile, however the link breaks intermittently), Koninklijke Bibliotheek Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts (selection of illustrations), Wikimedia Commons (selection of illustrations)

De Civitate Dei (BNF Fr. 22912 & 22913)

St. Peter invokes the Christians whilst pagans are slain at the foot of their altar, f. 8r.

Colloquial name(s): De Civitate Dei

Official name(s): Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Français 22912 & 22913

Date: c. 1375-1377 for Fr. 22912 (source) and c. 1370-80 for Fr. 22913 (source), alternatively 1376 (source)

Origin: France (source, source and source)

Online facsimile available via: Bibliothèque Nationale de France Gallica digital library - Fr. 22912 and Fr. 22913

Roman de la Rose (University of Chicago Library MS. 1380)

Dance in the garden of Deduiz [Delight], f. 4v.

Colloquial name(s): Roman de la Rose

Official name(s): University of Chicago Library MS. 1380

Date: c. 1365 (source)

Origin: France (source); Paris, France (source)

Online facsimile available via: The University of Chicago Library and the Roman de la Rose Digital Library

Le Jeu des échecs moralisé (University of Chicago Library MS. 392)

Jacobus de Cessolis writes Le Jeu des échecs moralisé. 
Mérodak and the philosopher Xerxès play chess, f. 1r.

Colloquial name(s): Le Jeu des échecs moralisé, The Moralised Game of Chess

Official name(s): University of Chicago Library MS. 392

Date: c. 1365 (source)

Origin: France (source)

Online facsimile available via: The University of Chicago Library (folio numbers at bottom left of page).

The Vienna Bohun Psalter (ÖNB Cod. 1826)

Moses speaking to the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea, f. 85v.

Colloquial name(s): The Vienna Bohun Psalter

Official name(s): Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 1826

Date: 1370 (source), c. 1350 - c. 1353 (source)

Origin: S. England (source)

Online facsimile available via: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (missing its pagination - although the folio numbers are written on the top right corner of each recto page).

Weltchronik (BLB Donaueschingen 79)

Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, f. 5r.

Colloquial name(s): Rudolf von Ems' Weltchronik

Official name(s): Badische LandesBibliotek Donaueschingen 79

Date: 1365 (source)

Origin: S.W. Germany (source)

Online fascimile available via: Badische LandesBibliothek (BLB)

Speculum Humanae Salvationis (ULB Darmstadt Hs 2505)

Lamech harassed by his two wives, f. 37r.

Colloquial name(s): Speculum Humanae Salvationis

Official name(s): Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt Hs 2505

Date: c. 1360

Origin: Westfalen, Germany

Online facsimile available via: Digitale Sammlungen Darmstadt (full zoomable facsimile), DGF viewer (full zoomable facsimile) and Manuscript Minatures (select illustrations)

Las Leyes d'Amors (Bibliothèque Muncipale de Toulouse, MS 2883)

Man at prayer to an effigy of the Virgin and Child, f. 2r.

Colloquial name(s): Las Leyes d'Amors

Official name(s): Bibliothèque Muncipale de Toulouse, MS 2883

Date: 1356, stated in the text (source, second source)

Origin: Toulouse, S.W. France (source)

Online facsimile available via: Rosalis - Bibliothèque Numérique de Toulouse (full facsimile, but fairly low-resolution) and Bibliothèque Virtuelle des Manuscrits Médiévaux (somewhat better resolution)

The Bohun Psalter (BL Egerton MS 3277)

Four scenes from the life of David, f. 29v.

Colloquial name(s): The Bohun Psalter

Official name(s): British Library Egerton MS 3277

Date: second half of 14th C (source)

Origin: London (?), England (source)

Online facsimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

The Romance of Alexander (MS. Bodl. 264)

Cassamus and his chess-players, f. 128v.

Colloquial name(s): The Romance of Alexander, The Roman d'Alexandre

Official name(s): Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. 264

Date: 1338-1344 (source) with two sections added c. 1400 (source)

Origin: Tournai, Flanders (source); Flanders with two sections added later in England (source)

Online facsimile available via: LUNA (high-quality, zoomable facsimiles of the majority of the illustrations) and  The Bodleian Library (much poorer quality, non-zoomable facsimile of the complete manuscript)

Chroniques de France ou de St. Denis (BL Royal MS 16 G VI)

Messengers sent to the church of St. Martin at Tours, f. 18.

Colloquial name(s): Chroniques de France ou de St. Denis

Official name(s): British Library, Royal MS 16 G VI

Date: after 1332 but before 1350 (source)

Origin: Paris, Central France (source)

Online facsimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts and British Library full facsimile

The Taymouth Hours (BL Yeats Thompson MS 13)

Woman with longbow and rabbit/hare, f. 68.

Colloquial name(s): The Taymouth Hours
Official name(s): British Library, Yates Thompson MS 13

Date: second quarter of the 14th C (source); 1325-1340 (source)
Origin: London (?), S.E. (?) England

Online facsimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

The Luttrell Psalter (BL Add. MS 42130)

A woman spinning at the great wheel and a woman carding wool, f. 193r.

Colloquial name(s): The Luttrell Psalter
Official name(s): British Library, Additional MS 42130

Date: 1325-1340 (source); 1320-1340 (source)
Origin: Lincolnshire, N. England

Online fascimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

The Gorleston Psalter (BL Add. MS 49622)

Historiated initial, f. 35r.

Colloquial name(s): The Gorleston Psalter
Official name(s): British Library, Add. MS 49622

Date: 1310-1324 (source); c. 1306, c. 1310-1320 or c. 1320 (source)
Origin: made for a person associated with St. Andrew's, Gorleston, Suffolk (source)

Online facsimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

The Manesse Codex (UBH Cod. Pal. germ. 848)

Herr Bernger von Horheim, f. 178r.

Colloquial name(s): The Manesse Codex, Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift
Official name(s): Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Codices Palatini germanici 848

Date: c. 1300-1340 (source and second source)
Origin: Zurich, Germany (source and second source)

Online facsimile available via: Heidelberger historische bestände - digital and via HeidICON

The Alphonso Psalter (BL Add. MS 24686)

Saint Andrew and Saint Lawrence, f. 2r.

Colloquial name(s): The Alphonso Psalter, The Tenison Psalter

Official name(s): British Library, Additional MS 24686

Date: c. 1284-1316, depending on illustrations in question (source)

Origin: London or Westminster, England (source)

Online facsimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

The Smithfield Decretals (BL Royal MS 10 E IV)

Man reading a book, f. 4v.

Colloquial name(s): The Smithfield Decretals

Official name(s): British Library, Royal MS 10 E IV

Date: Last quarter of the 13th C or first quarter of the 14th C (source) or c. 1300-1340 (source)

Origin: Phase 1: Toulouse (?), S. France, dedicated to the University of Paris (source and source), Phase 2: London, England (source)

Online facsimile available via: The British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts (select images) and The British Library Digitised Manuscripts (full facsimile)

The Maciejowski Bible (Morgan MS M.638)

Judges 20:29-35, wherein the people of Israel invaded the city of Gibeah, f. 16v.

Colloquial name(s): The Maciejowski Bible, The Morgan Bible, The Crusader Bible.

Official name(s): Pierpoint Morgan Library, MS M.638 (first 43 folios), Bibliothèque Nationale de France MS Nouv. Acq. Lat. 2294 (2 folios) and J. Paul Getty Museum MS 16 (1 folio).

Date: c. 1240s (source) or c. 1250s (source)

Origin: Paris, France (source)

Online facsimile available via: The Morgan Library and Museum (Morgan M. 638), The Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (one folio of MS Nouv. Acq. Lat. 2294)

Welcome to the blog

Manuscript facsimiles are a great resource for the medieval re-enactor and costumer. Unfortunately, it can often be tricky to actually find them, or even to discover which manuscripts have been digitised. This blog aims to help!

I'm principally interested in the first three-quarters of the 14th C in England and France, thus this blog will focus on manuscripts from within these dates and locations. If you have any manuscripts that you'd like to be featured, or any information or interpretation that you'd like to add, please comment!