Siglum: 
D-W 28 Helmst.
Summary: 
Early sixteenth-century antiphoner from the female Augustinian chapter of canonesses, St. Vitus in Hilwartshausen. 219 folios. 370 x 280 mm. Hufnagel notation with 10 staves per page.
Liturgical occasions: 
Ff. 1r-27v, Temporale: 1r, Corpus Christi; 1r, Octave of Trinity Sunday; 6r, Summer Histories; 19r, Pentecost. Ff. 28r-53v, Common of the Saints: 28v, Common of the Apostles; 33v, Common of one Martyr; 38r, Common of Martyrs; 54r, Common of one Confessor; 49v, Common of one Virgin; 53v, Votive Offices for Mary. Ff. 56v-219v, Proper of the Saints: 56v, Augustine; 57r, Andrew; 63v, Nicholas of Bari; 69r, Conception of Mary; 74v, Lucy; 76r, Agnes; 81r, Conversion of Paul; 86r, Purification of Mary; 91v, Agatha; 97r, Peter's Chair; 102v, Annunciation of Mary; 112v, Mark; 112v, Philip and James; 114v, Finding of the Cross; f, 115r, Alexander and Eventius; 116v, Monica; 124r, John before the Latin Gate; 124r, Dedication of a Church; 129v, Vitus and Companions; 135v, John the Baptist; 140v, John and Paul; 142r, Peter; 144v, Paul; 146v, Peter and Paul; 146v, Visitation of Mary; 150r, Mary Magdalene; 156r, Anne; 161v, Peter in Chains; 162r, Finding of Stephen's relics; 169r, Laurence; 175r, Assumption of Mary; f.2 180r, Augustine; 188r, Beheading of John the Baptist; 193r, Michael the Archangel; 198v, Jerome; 198v, Moving of Augustine's relics; 198v, 11,000 Virgin Martyrs of Cologne; 202v, All Saints' Day; 208r, Martin; 213r, Elizabeth of Hungary; 217v, Cecilia; 219r, Clement I
Description: 

This antiphoner was written for the female Augustinian chapter of canonesses, St. Vitus in Hilwartshausen. It may have been paired with D-W 29 Helmst. (Heinemann 32), as the contents are complementary. The manuscript was given to the Fritzlar library by Wilhelm von Lysfelt, and transferred from Fritzlar to Wolfenbüttel in 1587.

Physical Description: Parchment leaves. Covers of pigskin over wood binding. The manuscript has coloured initials with garnet ornaments (leaves and flowers) on ff. 1r, 6r, 19r, 28r, 57r, 124r, 180r, and 202v. Other initials are in red, blue, and black. Modern foliation (I to CXCI) in red ink on ff. 28-219.

Differentiae are indicated by their last note and an arbitrarily-assigned number (e.g., G1, D1, E1, etc.).

This manuscript source was previously identified in the Cantus Database as #31, as listed in the manuscript catalogue of Otto von Heinemann.

Selected bibliography: 
  • von Heinemann, Otto. Die Handschriften der Herzoglichen Bibliothek zu Wolfenbüttel. Vol. I: Die Helmstedter Handschriften. Wolfenbüttel: Julius Zwissler, 1884. Reprint: Kataloge der Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel: Die Helmstedter Handschriften. Vol. 1: Codex Guelferbytanus 1 Helmstadiensis bis 500 Helmstadiensis. Frankfurt am Main: Vittorio Klostermann,1963.
  • Härtel, Helmar; Heitzmann, Christian; Merzbacher, Dieter; Lesser, Bertram. Katalog der mittelalterlichen Helmstedter Handschriften. Teil 1: Cod. Guelf. 1 bis 276 Helmst. Wiesbaden, 2012.
Notes on the Inventory: 
The inventory for D-W 28 Helmst. (Heinemann 31) was prepared by Kate Helsen (The University of Western Ontario), with editorial assistance from Debra Lacoste (The University of Western Ontario). Manuscript description written by Rebecca Shaw (Dalhousie University), with editorial assistance from Debra Lacoste (University of Waterloo). Thank you to Claudia Höhle for additional editorial notes (2020-21).
Complete / partial inventory: 
complete inventory
Full source / fragment: 
Full source