Western Medieval Manuscripts
We have more than 900 Western medieval manuscripts. The greater part of them are written in Latin and decorated with beautiful illuminations. Over half of them come from Vadstena Convent, around twenty from the Franciscan Order in Stockholm and a similar number from the Dominican Order in Sigtuna. We also have war booty seized during the 17th century and later donations in this part of the Library.
Search and find
Most of the Western medieval manuscripts at Carolina are integrated in the C-section of the Manuscripts according to subject.
Catalogue: Andersson, Margarete, Hallberg, Håkan & Hedlund, Monika: Mittelalterliche Handschriften der Universitätsbibliothek Uppsala. Katalog über die C-Sammlung. 1-8. Uppsala, 1988-1995.
A list of the Old Icelandic and Old Norse manuscripts were made in 1892:
Vilhelm Gödel: Katalog öfver Upsala universitets biblioteks fornisländska och fornnorska handskrifter. Upsala : Humanistiska vetenskapssamfundet i Upsala, 1892 (digital version available via the Swedish National Library).
There are also Swedish legal manuscripts in the B-section which includes the De la Gardie Collection where the famous manuscript, Codex argenteus, also known as the Silver Bible, is held.
Some highlights of our collections
- Codex argenteus, or the Silver Bible, contains the four gospels in a Gothic translation. This manuscript was probably made in Ravenna at the beginning of the 6th century. (Shelfmark: DG 1)
- Codex Caesareus, or the Emperor's book, contains the gospels in Latin made for Henry III at the Echternach Monastery in Luxemburg, approx. 1050. (Shelfmark: C 93)
- Johanette Ravanelle's Book of Hours is a prayer book in latin with beautiful full-page miniatures from approx. 1400. (Shelfmark: C 517e)
- Magnus Eriksson's National Law Code, a manuscript with illustrations, from approx. 1430. (Shelfmark: B 68)
- The Uppsala Edda, an Icelandic manuscript from approx. 1300 which contains Snorri Sturluson's prose Edda, a book on the art of poetry. (Shelfmark: DG 11)
- The Vadstena Diary, a collection of notes that describe life at Vadstena Monastery during the period 1384-1545. (Shelfmark: C 89)
We are happy to assist you in your search for medieval manuscripts.