Gruuthuse manuscript
Encyclopedia
The Gruuthuse manuscript is a medieval compilation, the oldest core of which is dated about 1395, while the youngest unfinished contributions date from around 1408. The manuscript
is the only known source for a large number of Middle Dutch
texts.
s provided with a simplified musical notation for one voice, 18 poems and 7 prayer
s put into rhyme. The famous Egidius song is one of the songs included as well as the Kerelslied. The Huygens Institute in The Hague
is editing the manuscript, while the Dutch Royal Library
in The Hague put a digitised facsimile on its web site in 2007. In cooperation with the Huygens Institute the Library in The Hague will also offer a transcription of all texts on the web site, with a commentary on the content and some audio files.
On 14 February 2007, the Dutch Royal Library in The Hague purchased the manuscript. Previously, the manuscript was owned by the family Van Caloen in Koolkerke
near Brugge
and conserved in their castel Ten Berghe. Through its purchase by the Dutch Royal Library, the manuscript became public property. Now, it’s one of the summits of the collection of the Dutch Royal Library and is frequently exhibited. The Dutch Royal Library introduced its new web site on 1 March 2007, where the manuscript is reproduced entirely.
questioned Flemish minister of Culture Bert Anciaux
in the Flemish Parliament
on the selling of the manuscript, part of Flanders
heritage
. The minister made clear that the manuscript was not kept in Belgium
. Although the Vlaams Belang party is supporter of the Greater Netherlands, the party regrets the selling.
works, French manuscripts and books. The older Gruuthuse manuscript contains no French texts nor is it illuminated. Nevetheless it must have been an important piece in his collection. It was only in the 17th or 18th century, that someone anonymously added his name, his coat of arms and his device (Plus est en Vous) and a number of comments about his membership of the Order of the Golden Fleece
to the manuscript
. How the manuscript came into possession of the family de Croeser in later times, and how it came through this family in that of the family Van Caloen is still un unanswered question.
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
is the only known source for a large number of Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects which were spoken and written between 1150 and 1500...
texts.
About the manuscript
The Gruuthuse manuscript includes 147 songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s provided with a simplified musical notation for one voice, 18 poems and 7 prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
s put into rhyme. The famous Egidius song is one of the songs included as well as the Kerelslied. The Huygens Institute in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
is editing the manuscript, while the Dutch Royal Library
Dutch Royal Library
The National Library of the Netherlands is based in The Hague and was founded in 1798. The mission of the National Library of the Netherlands, as presented on the library's web site, is to provide "access to the knowledge and culture of the past and the present by providing high-quality services...
in The Hague put a digitised facsimile on its web site in 2007. In cooperation with the Huygens Institute the Library in The Hague will also offer a transcription of all texts on the web site, with a commentary on the content and some audio files.
On 14 February 2007, the Dutch Royal Library in The Hague purchased the manuscript. Previously, the manuscript was owned by the family Van Caloen in Koolkerke
Koolkerke
-External links:*...
near Brugge
Brügge
Brügge is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.Its small church and market square are noted for their beauty....
and conserved in their castel Ten Berghe. Through its purchase by the Dutch Royal Library, the manuscript became public property. Now, it’s one of the summits of the collection of the Dutch Royal Library and is frequently exhibited. The Dutch Royal Library introduced its new web site on 1 March 2007, where the manuscript is reproduced entirely.
Political aftermath
On Wednesday 28 February 2007, Flemish political party Vlaams BelangVlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
questioned Flemish minister of Culture Bert Anciaux
Bert Anciaux
Bert Jozef Herman Vic Anciaux is a Belgian politician, a founder and former member of Spirit...
in the Flemish Parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
on the selling of the manuscript, part of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
. The minister made clear that the manuscript was not kept in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Although the Vlaams Belang party is supporter of the Greater Netherlands, the party regrets the selling.
Gruuthuse
After it had been discovered around 1840, the manuscript was known for a while as a manuscript of Oudvlaemsche liederen en gedichten (Old Flemish songs and poems). In the course of the 20th century, it was named after its first known owner, Lodewijk van Gruuthuse (ca. 1422-1492), whose coat of arms is painted in the bottom margins of the first written page. The patrician and diplomat Lodewijk of Gruuthuse was an important collector of manuscripts. Mostly, he collected contemporary illuminatedIlluminated
Illuminated may refer to:* Illuminated dance floor, a floor with panels which light up with different colours* Illuminated Film Company, a British animation house...
works, French manuscripts and books. The older Gruuthuse manuscript contains no French texts nor is it illuminated. Nevetheless it must have been an important piece in his collection. It was only in the 17th or 18th century, that someone anonymously added his name, his coat of arms and his device (Plus est en Vous) and a number of comments about his membership of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
to the manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
. How the manuscript came into possession of the family de Croeser in later times, and how it came through this family in that of the family Van Caloen is still un unanswered question.
External links
The Gruuthuse manuscript on the KB internet site On the Gruuthuse manuscript on the web site of the Digitised Library of Dutch Literature A selection from the Gruuthuse manuscriptSource
- The Dutch article on the Gruuthuse manuscript on Wikipedia