Medieval History
The British Library has acquired a unique medieval prayer roll that once belonged to Henry VIII and contains one of only three surviving examples of his handwriting from before his accession in 1509. It is a rare example of a late medieval prayer roll, for, unlike medieval obituary rolls (of which there are hundreds), very few prayer rolls survived the Reformation.
Produced in England in the late fifteenth century, the prayer roll consists of four parchment strips sewn end to end and measures some four metres long when fully unrolled. The roll contains thirteen illuminations ? images of Christ, focusing on the Passion, its Instruments and the Sacred Blood, as well as depictions of various saints and their martyrdoms. Accompanying these is a two-column text, with prayers in Latin and rubrics (religious instructions) in English. The rubrics promise that the recital of certain of the prayers will offer safety from physical danger, sickness or disease; others will shorten, by specified amounts, the agony of Purgatory, while the placing of the roll on the belly of a woman in labour will ensure a safe childbirth.
Click here to read the article on Early Modern England
- New Image Of Henry Viii Discovered
One of the earliest and most remarkable depictions of the prince who was to become England?s King Henry VIII has been discovered at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. Poignantly, he is shown as a mourning 11 year old boy, weeping at the empty...
- Medieval Siddur Battles Gender Inequality Via Jewish Prayer
A siddur from 1471 has revealed an early example of egalitarian Jewish prayer, presenting historical attempts to battle gender inequality. According to the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), the 600-year-old siddur replaces the traditional prayer recited...
- Manuscript Scholar Gives Illuminating Talk
Not every rare book scholar gets the opportunity to hold the object of her research. Professor Anne Rudloff Stanton, chair of the art history and archaeology department at University of Missouri Columbia, is one of the lucky few. Stanton, whose research...
- How Medieval Peasants Prayed ? Research From Sweden
When people belonging to peasant communities in late medieval Sweden prayed to God they usually stood up and put their palms together. That was how they displayed their devotion before God. This is one of the conclusions of a thesis in Religious Studies...
- Parliament Rolls Of Medieval England Web Site
British History Online at the Institute of Historical Research (http://www.british-history.ac.uk) would like to announce an important new addition to its premium content section: the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/prome)....
Medieval History
British Library unrolls Henry VIII?s pious past
The British Library has acquired a unique medieval prayer roll that once belonged to Henry VIII and contains one of only three surviving examples of his handwriting from before his accession in 1509. It is a rare example of a late medieval prayer roll, for, unlike medieval obituary rolls (of which there are hundreds), very few prayer rolls survived the Reformation.
Produced in England in the late fifteenth century, the prayer roll consists of four parchment strips sewn end to end and measures some four metres long when fully unrolled. The roll contains thirteen illuminations ? images of Christ, focusing on the Passion, its Instruments and the Sacred Blood, as well as depictions of various saints and their martyrdoms. Accompanying these is a two-column text, with prayers in Latin and rubrics (religious instructions) in English. The rubrics promise that the recital of certain of the prayers will offer safety from physical danger, sickness or disease; others will shorten, by specified amounts, the agony of Purgatory, while the placing of the roll on the belly of a woman in labour will ensure a safe childbirth.
Click here to read the article on Early Modern England
- New Image Of Henry Viii Discovered
One of the earliest and most remarkable depictions of the prince who was to become England?s King Henry VIII has been discovered at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. Poignantly, he is shown as a mourning 11 year old boy, weeping at the empty...
- Medieval Siddur Battles Gender Inequality Via Jewish Prayer
A siddur from 1471 has revealed an early example of egalitarian Jewish prayer, presenting historical attempts to battle gender inequality. According to the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), the 600-year-old siddur replaces the traditional prayer recited...
- Manuscript Scholar Gives Illuminating Talk
Not every rare book scholar gets the opportunity to hold the object of her research. Professor Anne Rudloff Stanton, chair of the art history and archaeology department at University of Missouri Columbia, is one of the lucky few. Stanton, whose research...
- How Medieval Peasants Prayed ? Research From Sweden
When people belonging to peasant communities in late medieval Sweden prayed to God they usually stood up and put their palms together. That was how they displayed their devotion before God. This is one of the conclusions of a thesis in Religious Studies...
- Parliament Rolls Of Medieval England Web Site
British History Online at the Institute of Historical Research (http://www.british-history.ac.uk) would like to announce an important new addition to its premium content section: the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/prome)....