July liturgical calendar
Date
ca.1383-1400
Creator
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (sheet): 194mm
width (sheet): 1488mm
height (compartment): 97mm
width (compartment): 62mm
width (sheet): 1488mm
height (compartment): 97mm
width (compartment): 62mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Liturgical calendar for July from a medeival almanac, marking important festivals in the Christian calendar, with a sideways portrait head of the saint against their feast day, along with an attribute identifying them. Ruled and illustrated in red, green, blue and black- brown inks.
The liturgical calendar for July marks the following holy days:
4 July, Feast of the translation of Saint Martin of Bullion ‘Translacio martini’. Buillon meaning boiling i.e hot, as this is St Martin’s summer feast. There is also a winter feast of St Martin on 11 November. Martin is patron saint of France and was Bishop of Tours and is depicted here wearing the mitre of the office of bishop with a reliquary behind him and an axe; the instrument he used to hit the devil and destroy non-Christian statuary.
7 July, Feast of the translation of Saint Thomas Becket ‘Translacio Thome Mr’ [martyr], Canterbury’s most famous saint, commemorating the internment of his relics in the city’s cathedral. Illustrated by the head of the saint wearing a bishop’s mitre with the cross-topped staff shown with all Archbishops of Canterbury in the almanac, distinguishing them from bishops shown with curved croziers. He is shown in front of a reliquary in reference to the translation of his relics. During the Reformation in 16th century England royal edicts by Henry the VIII following his split from the Church and Pope in Rome mandated that popes no longer be venerated and be struck out of religious texts. As this almanac has not suffered this iconoclasm its owners may have continued to follow Roman Catholicism over the new Church of England but the edict was widely ignored so it is not conclusive.
13 July, Feast of the translation of Saint Mildride ‘Translcio Mildride’ depicted with a reliquary in reference to the commemoration of the translation of her relics. An Anglo-Saxon princess from Kent. Mildred was Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet, where she was buried until her relics were translated to Canterbury. She was venerated particularly in Kent.
14 July, ‘Incipiut dies caldar’ the day begins hot - summer reference?
15 July, the second of the feasts in July dedicated to Saint Swithun. 15 July is the date his relics were moved to Winchester cathedral and this is represented by the reliquary shown behind the image of the mitred bishop-saint.
20 July, Feast of Saint Margarete, virgin martyr ‘Margarete vgis’. The portrait head of St Margarete is surmounted by her emblem; the head of a dragon, seen side on, in reference to having been swallowed by the devil disguised as a dragon before her eventual martyrdom by beheading.
22 July, Feast of Mary Magdalene ‘Marie magdalene’ shown with her head covered by a hood or wimple and a vessel of ointment, in reference to the anointing of Jesus.
25 July, Feast of Saint James the Apostle ‘Iacobi aptle’ shown as a bearded man beneath a sword, the instrument of his martyrdom and what may be crossed staffs and a broad brimmed hat of a pilgrim. James’ sarcophagus at Compostela became a place of pilgrimage.
26 July, Feast of Saint Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary shown with her head covered and with her emblem of a door.
31 July, Feast of Saint Germanus Bishop of Auxerre ‘Germani epi.’ [episcopal] shown with the mitre and crozier (partially lost) of his office as bishop.
The preceding columns of data for each day are populated with the dominical letter (by which the day of the week could be identified for a given year, relative to one known day) and by numbers written in a cipher formed of a circle (10), bracket (5) and dot (1). Arabic number 31 in red at the top of the calendar indicates the number of day in the month.
The liturgical calendar for July marks the following holy days:
4 July, Feast of the translation of Saint Martin of Bullion ‘Translacio martini’. Buillon meaning boiling i.e hot, as this is St Martin’s summer feast. There is also a winter feast of St Martin on 11 November. Martin is patron saint of France and was Bishop of Tours and is depicted here wearing the mitre of the office of bishop with a reliquary behind him and an axe; the instrument he used to hit the devil and destroy non-Christian statuary.
7 July, Feast of the translation of Saint Thomas Becket ‘Translacio Thome Mr’ [martyr], Canterbury’s most famous saint, commemorating the internment of his relics in the city’s cathedral. Illustrated by the head of the saint wearing a bishop’s mitre with the cross-topped staff shown with all Archbishops of Canterbury in the almanac, distinguishing them from bishops shown with curved croziers. He is shown in front of a reliquary in reference to the translation of his relics. During the Reformation in 16th century England royal edicts by Henry the VIII following his split from the Church and Pope in Rome mandated that popes no longer be venerated and be struck out of religious texts. As this almanac has not suffered this iconoclasm its owners may have continued to follow Roman Catholicism over the new Church of England but the edict was widely ignored so it is not conclusive.
13 July, Feast of the translation of Saint Mildride ‘Translcio Mildride’ depicted with a reliquary in reference to the commemoration of the translation of her relics. An Anglo-Saxon princess from Kent. Mildred was Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet, where she was buried until her relics were translated to Canterbury. She was venerated particularly in Kent.
14 July, ‘Incipiut dies caldar’ the day begins hot - summer reference?
15 July, the second of the feasts in July dedicated to Saint Swithun. 15 July is the date his relics were moved to Winchester cathedral and this is represented by the reliquary shown behind the image of the mitred bishop-saint.
20 July, Feast of Saint Margarete, virgin martyr ‘Margarete vgis’. The portrait head of St Margarete is surmounted by her emblem; the head of a dragon, seen side on, in reference to having been swallowed by the devil disguised as a dragon before her eventual martyrdom by beheading.
22 July, Feast of Mary Magdalene ‘Marie magdalene’ shown with her head covered by a hood or wimple and a vessel of ointment, in reference to the anointing of Jesus.
25 July, Feast of Saint James the Apostle ‘Iacobi aptle’ shown as a bearded man beneath a sword, the instrument of his martyrdom and what may be crossed staffs and a broad brimmed hat of a pilgrim. James’ sarcophagus at Compostela became a place of pilgrimage.
26 July, Feast of Saint Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary shown with her head covered and with her emblem of a door.
31 July, Feast of Saint Germanus Bishop of Auxerre ‘Germani epi.’ [episcopal] shown with the mitre and crozier (partially lost) of his office as bishop.
The preceding columns of data for each day are populated with the dominical letter (by which the day of the week could be identified for a given year, relative to one known day) and by numbers written in a cipher formed of a circle (10), bracket (5) and dot (1). Arabic number 31 in red at the top of the calendar indicates the number of day in the month.
Object history
Robert Moray FRS donated the manuscript to the Royal Society library in 1668 (JBO/3/104: Journal Book, vol. 3 p.232). The provenance of the manuscript, before it came into the hands of Moray, is unknown.
The presence of the feast day ‘Translacio Edwardi Regis’ (13 October) entered on the calendar as a red letter day shows an importance being attached to Edward the Confessor great patron of Westminster Abbey where his relics were a popular site for pilgrimage, this may suggest a London origin. While the inclusion of ‘Translacio Mildride’ (13 July) honouring the Anglo-Saxon princess Mildred, suggests Kent. Mildred was Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet, where she was first buried and her relics were later moved to Canterbury. Four Archbishops of Canterbury also feature in the liturgical calendar, strengthening the connection with Kent as a possible place of origin. The inclusion of cultivation activities early in the annual calendar of labours (digging/planting in February), a later hay harvest (July rather than June) and viticulture (March and September) suggests a temperate southern English climate in support of one of these locations rather than a warmer Mediterranean location or a cooler northern one.
The calendar has been dated to the late 14th century based on the textual content and analysis of the pigments used. Saint George’s feast (23 April) written into the calendar in brown-black ink demarcating it as a lesser feast, indicates the calendar was produced before the elevation of the feast to a red letter day after the battle of Agincourt in 1415. Whilst the presence of the feast of St. Anne, which was not promulgated until 1383 suggests this as the earliest likely date. The presence of the yellow pigment orpiment supports a date in the late 14th century as it was widely replaced by use of lead-tin Yellow around 1400.
An example of a mid-quality almanac. The range of pigments used demonstrate it was produced economically but not with the cheapest available materials. No gold leaf is present and indigo dyes are used for blue rather than more expensive minerals, however vermilion red is employed over cheaper organic sources. The uniformity and selection of pigments (gallo-tannic black rather than carbon-based) suggests that there was a single creator, rather than a scribe and an illustrator as would be expected for a finer document. This is borne out by the fairly crude rendering of the illustrative material and mistakes or omissions in the layout of information, see for example figures missing feet where these would have extended below a ground line and numbers missing from zodiac headings.
Conserved in 2021 with the support of the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust.
Video demonstrating the format of the almanack and relationship of the calendars available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5Gwnk-BrL4
See P Robinson, 'A 'very curious Almanack'; the gift of Sir Robert Moray FRS, 1688', Notes and Records, 2008 vol 62 pp 301-314.
The presence of the feast day ‘Translacio Edwardi Regis’ (13 October) entered on the calendar as a red letter day shows an importance being attached to Edward the Confessor great patron of Westminster Abbey where his relics were a popular site for pilgrimage, this may suggest a London origin. While the inclusion of ‘Translacio Mildride’ (13 July) honouring the Anglo-Saxon princess Mildred, suggests Kent. Mildred was Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet, where she was first buried and her relics were later moved to Canterbury. Four Archbishops of Canterbury also feature in the liturgical calendar, strengthening the connection with Kent as a possible place of origin. The inclusion of cultivation activities early in the annual calendar of labours (digging/planting in February), a later hay harvest (July rather than June) and viticulture (March and September) suggests a temperate southern English climate in support of one of these locations rather than a warmer Mediterranean location or a cooler northern one.
The calendar has been dated to the late 14th century based on the textual content and analysis of the pigments used. Saint George’s feast (23 April) written into the calendar in brown-black ink demarcating it as a lesser feast, indicates the calendar was produced before the elevation of the feast to a red letter day after the battle of Agincourt in 1415. Whilst the presence of the feast of St. Anne, which was not promulgated until 1383 suggests this as the earliest likely date. The presence of the yellow pigment orpiment supports a date in the late 14th century as it was widely replaced by use of lead-tin Yellow around 1400.
An example of a mid-quality almanac. The range of pigments used demonstrate it was produced economically but not with the cheapest available materials. No gold leaf is present and indigo dyes are used for blue rather than more expensive minerals, however vermilion red is employed over cheaper organic sources. The uniformity and selection of pigments (gallo-tannic black rather than carbon-based) suggests that there was a single creator, rather than a scribe and an illustrator as would be expected for a finer document. This is borne out by the fairly crude rendering of the illustrative material and mistakes or omissions in the layout of information, see for example figures missing feet where these would have extended below a ground line and numbers missing from zodiac headings.
Conserved in 2021 with the support of the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust.
Video demonstrating the format of the almanack and relationship of the calendars available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5Gwnk-BrL4
See P Robinson, 'A 'very curious Almanack'; the gift of Sir Robert Moray FRS, 1688', Notes and Records, 2008 vol 62 pp 301-314.
Related fellows
Robert Moray (1608 - 1673, British) , Natural Philosopher
Associated place
