Codex Gigas

The Codex Gigas is one of the largest hand-written books in the world ( hence the name Gigas, Greek for " huge "). It was probably written in the early 13th century in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia and is also known under the name Devil's Bible that comes from a famous illustration of the devil in the Code. The whole book is written in Latin.

Appearance

The Code is bound in a wooden cover with leather and ornaments made ​​of metal. With 92 centimeters high, 50 centimeters wide and 22 centimeters thick, it is the largest known medieval manuscript. It now consists of 310 parchment and two sheets of paper. Eight other leaves are missing. It is not known who for whatever reason taken from the sides, but it is suspected that they contained the disciplinary rules of the Benedictines. The code is almost 75 kilograms. The writing is a Carolingian minuscule. Font analyzes suggest that the code was only written by a person who is, however, notably remained unknown. The inclusion of any hermanus inclusus ( " Hermann the Hermit ", probably a monk in seclusion ) in the text could be an indication of the author.

History

As it stands, the code in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice was written, which was destroyed by the Hussites in the 15th century. The records in the Code end 1229, the Code was founded in 1245 in the Cistercian Monastery Sedlec (Czech: Sedlec ). Spent and 1477 in the Benedictine monastery in Breunau (Czech: Břevnov ), where he was kept until 1593 in the monastery library. He was then inserted into the Prague curiosities collection of Emperor Rudolf II.

In the last year of the Thirty Years' War in the looting of Prague was the entire collection, including Codex Gigas Codex argenteus and seized as booty by the Swedish army. Since 1649 the Royal Library in Stockholm keeps the manuscript. In 2007, she put the book on loan from the Prague Clementinum available where it was seen from September 2007 to March 2008.

Content

About half of the Code takes the transcript of the entire Bible is a largely according to the Vulgate, while Acts and Apocalypse follow which arose before, 350 translation of the Vetus Latina. Next it contains Isidore of Seville Etymologiae, Flavius ​​Josephus Antiquities Judaicae, Cosmas of Prague's Chronicle of Boemorum, various tractates (with respect to history, etymology and physiology ), a calendar, a list of brothers of the monastery, miracles and other local records.

The manuscript contains many illuminations in red, yellow, green and gold. Uppercase letters are carefully designed, often on the whole page. The Code has a consistent style, and the style of writing shows no changes as a result of age, illness or mood. That may be one reason for the assumption that the book was completed in a short time (see the legend).

Journal 289R shows up a very famous image of the devil, about 50 cm. On some pages before and after the text is done columns on dark background in bright characters, what makes them different from the rest of the book. On some of these pages two columns deposit is only executed, but no written text. The text of the other sides is good to moderate legible depending on the degree of preservation of Scripture.

Legend

According to a legend, already in a catalog entry from the year 1635 is visible in the core, the code was written by a monk, who have broken the rules of discipline and to have been sentenced to be walled up alive. So this harsh punishment it would be adopted, he promised to write in praise of the monastery in a single night a book that should contain all human knowledge. Near midnight he realized that he could not do this task alone and sold the devil his soul. The devil completed the manuscript and the monk added the image of the devil added, so as to point to the true author.

The translation of the putative author mention hermanus inclusus as " trapped Hermann" is wrong, this rather points to a hermit monk living.