The Folchart Psalter, or Folchard Psalter (St. Gall, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. 23), is a Carolingian

Carolingian

The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...

 illuminated manuscript

Illuminated manuscript

An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...

. It was produced about 872-883 in the scriptorium

Scriptorium

Scriptorium, literally "a place for writing", is commonly used to refer to a room in medieval European monasteries devoted to the copying of manuscripts by monastic scribes...

 of the Abbey of St. Gall

Abbey of St. Gall

The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...

, Switzerland, under the direction of the scribe Folchardus, usually modernized as Folchart.

Folchardus is attested to being a monk at St. Gall from 849-854 and 898-899. Curiously, Folchardus is not mentioned in the Casus of Ekkehard IV, making his biography obscure and incomplete. He is recorded being a sub-deacon

Deacon

Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...

 in 858, and a deacon no later than 860; he was elected prior

Prior

Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...

 in the Benedictine

Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...

 monasteries at Zürichgau

Canton of Zürich

The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...

 and Turgovia

Thurgau

Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-History:...

 (869-878), and at the latest in 882 was elected the senior assistant or vicar of Abbot Hartmut.

Folchardus penned, on folios 26-27, the following inscription: "Hunc praeceptoris Hartmoti iussa secutus/ Folchardus studuit rite patrare librum" ("Following the orders of Abbot Hartmut/ Folchart endeavoured to complete this book according to rules). Although Hartmoti (Hartmut) is referred to as preceptor

Preceptor

A preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...

, it really means abbot. Since he is cited as abbot it places the manuscript during his tenure of office 872-883.

Portraits of the tonsured Folchardus, holding the Psalter

Psalter

A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...

 and bowing towards the abbot (far left side of tympanum

Tympanum (architecture)

In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....

painting of King David receiving his harp) and Abbot Harmut prepared to receive the Psalter with open arms (far right side of tympanum painting of the Ark of the Covenant transported by an oxen drawn wagon) are each found on the extreme ends of the folio on either side of the centralized bust of Christ in the spandrel on the “Dedication Page” on folio 12.

The initial letter Q of Psalm 51 (52) is often cited as a masterpiece of late Carolingian illumination.

The St. Gall Collegiate Library Accession for this manuscript is designated as “Cod. Sang. 23” -- for Codex Sangallenses no. 23. Dimensions: 38 x 29 cm.

Links to Folchart Psalter Folios

• Initial “Q” of Psalm 51 (52) folio 31
• http://www.eye.ch/swissgen/kant/sgstia-q.htm
• Two Double-Columned Bifolia
• Facsimile on e-codices.ch