Inside The Cover "Codex Gigas" The Devil’s Bible Part 1

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Inside The Cover "Codex Gigas" The Devil’s Bible Part 1

June 21, 2009

Nouerint vniversi hoc scriptum inspecturi,

quod venerabilis / pater et dominus Dominus Bawarus, diuina miseracione Abbas / Monasterii Brewnouiensis, nec non eiusdem loci fere fundator / sacerdos viscera gerens conpassiva,

tam propter diuinam reconpensam, / tam eciam reuerendi uiri domini gregorii, sacrosancte pra/gensis Ecclesie pontificis, magnam peticionem,

librum pergrandem, / qui dici potest de septem mirabilibus mundi propter sui immensita/tem, continentem in se nouum et vetus testamentum, nec non / partem omnium septem arcium liberalium, Josephum, Cronicam / et Regulam almi sancte patris nostri benedicti, nec non Kalendarium /

quem fratres de Podlasitz ob nimiam domus sue egestatem fratribus / de Sedlitz obligauerunt

Sed tum iam prefatus liber fere perditus / fuerat et ab ordine perpetue alienatus,

Nos vero volentes sa/tisfacere precibus prefati antistitis, hunc librum redemimus ab abacia / sedlicensi

ex permissione monasterii Podlasicensi (sic!) quorum proprietas / fuerat, nolentes eum ab ordine alienari

dantes pro eo peccuniam / par<a>tam, pro domo nostra Brewnow perpetuo habendum et utifruendum,

superaddentes peccuniam super estimacionem valoris libri supradicti.

Acta sunt hec anno domini 1295, abbacie vero nostre anno 4:o.

Know all who see this work know
that the venerable father and lord, Lord Bawarus (Bavor of Nečtin), by the mercy of God Abbot of the Monastery of Břevnov, and almost the founder of the same monastery, a compassionate-hearted priest,
both out of [hope of] divine retribution and due to earnest entreaty by the venerable lord Gregorius, Bishop of the Holy Church in Prague,
the huge book, which can be said to belong to the seven wonders of the world by reason of its huge size, which contains the New and Old Testaments, and also a number of all seven of the liberal arts, Josephus, the Chronicle and the Rule of our gracious and holy father Benedict, as well as a calendar,
for which the brothers of Podlažice by reason of the great poverty of their monastery became indebted to the brethren of Sedlec;
but since the aforesaid book had nearly been lost and been forever removed from the Order, but we wished to accede to the prayers of the above-mentioned bishop and repurchased this book from the monastery of Sedlec
by permission of the monastery of Podlažice, whose property it had been, since we did not wish to remove it from the Order
and for the same gave ready money, so that it should in all perpetuity belong to our house of Břevnov and be of benefit to the same,
and added money in excess of the valuation of the said book.
This happened in 1295, in the fourth year of our abbacy.

258r

Wentzl perger von Altenberg . . . ? . . . wejbertzi (?) kragehrodetzky (?) Diß puch ist pey mir zu Nimburk gebest den 16 martzij.

Wentzl Perger from Altenberg . . . ? . . . this book was in my home in Nymburk on 16th March.

273 r

Aue maria gracia plena dominus tecum et tu mecum

o maria in omnibus / Tribulacionibus et necessitatibus et in hora exitus mei suscipe animam meam

Et offer eam dilectissimo filiu tuo AMEN.

Sancta maria sis mihi / Propicia famulo tuo Sobisslao et libera me ab omnibus peccatis MEIS

Orba te penis quas intulit orba salutis.

Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord be with thee and thou with me,
O Mary, in all trials and straits, and receive my soul in the hour of my death and carry it up to thy dearest son. Amen.
Sancta Maria, be gracious unto me thy servant Sobisslaus and deliver me from all my sins.
Deliver thee from the penalties she has caused who is deprived of salvation.

276 r

Quos anguis dirus tristi mulcedine pauit

Hos sanguis mirus Christi dulcedine lauit

–N chorus angelicus sed et –m notat angelus vnus

Suffocat, extinguit, suffocat, guttura stringit

Cum simus limus nescimus quando perimus

Those whom a fearful serpent reared with a revolting caress
The same Christ’s wondrous blood washed with tenderness
-N means the choir of angels but –m a solitary angel
Suffocates, extinguishes, suffocates, strangles the throats
Because we are earth, we do not know when we succumb

286 r

Salve regina misericordie vita dulcedo et spes nostra salue.

ad te clamamus exules filii / Eue, ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle

eya ergo aduocata / nostra illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos conuerte

et ihesum benedictum fructum ventris tui no/bis post hec exilium ostende.

Virgo mater ecclesie etterne porta glorie esto nobis refugium / Aput patrem et filium

O Clemens Virgo Clemens virgo pia virgo dulcis O MARIA

Exaudi preces suplicum ad te pia clamancium O PIA

Funde preces tuo nato ihesu Christo

Vulnerato pro nobis et flagellato, spinis [coronato], sputo, felle potato

O SANCTISSIMA MARIA

Welcome, Queen of Mercy, our life, our sweet hope, welcome.
To thee we exiled sons of Eve do cry, to thee we sigh, weeping and wailing in this vale of tears
Hail to thee our helpmeet, turn thy merciful eyes upon us
And after this exile show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb
Virgin, mother of the Church, gateway to eternal glory, be our refuge with the Father and the Son
O gracious Virgin, gracious Virgin, merciful Virgin, sweet Mary
Hear the prayers of the fugitives who cry unto thee, O merciful one.
pour forth prayers to thy son Jesus Christ,
wounded for us and scourged, [crowned] with thorns, mocked after drinking gall
O Mary most holy

304 r

Anno a Christo nato Millesimo quingentesimo xx.vijo feria 3. post dominicam Cantate,

Ferdinandus I, Christianissimus Romanorum Imperator, Hungarie, Boemie et Dalmacie Rex, Archidux Austrie,

Hoc in monasterio [Braunoviensi], a Vratislavia Sylesiaca Vrbe, in Bohemiam cum suo regio et splendido comitatu pergens, pernoctavit, et hunc grandem codicem lustravit. Et in civitate Swidnicensi eodem quoque tempore subsistens, Seditiosum Concionatorem Swidnicensium in arbore pyri extra civitatem laqueo strangulare mandavit.

Joannes a Chotow, Abbas, in perpetuam rei memoriam hic annotare jussit anno 157[…

In the year 1527 after the Birth of Christ, the Tuesday after Cantate (21st May),
Ferdinand I, the most Christian Emperor of the Romans, King of Hungary, Bohemia and Dalmatia, Archduke of Austria,
spent the night in this monastery [Broumow] when he was journeying from Breslau (Wroclaw) in Silesia to Bohemia with his royal and illustrious entourage, and inspected this great book. And when at the same time he was in the town of Schweidnitz (Świdnica) he there had hanged the rebellious preacher of the people of Schweidnitz in a noose in a pear tree outside the town.

Johannes from Chotow, abbot, had this noted down as a perpetual memorial in 157[…]

305rv

305 r

Ego pater Albertus Wnesconius, prior monasterii Bramouiensis, sub anno Domini 1.5.9. Quarto, die vero quarta Martii, Hunc grandem codicem ex mandato reuerendi Domini Domini Martini, Abbatis Brewnoviensis monasterii in Bramow, transmissi per generosum Mathiam a Dorndorff et Biskupowo capitaneum policensem versus Pragam

[

I Father Albert Wnesconius, Prior of the Monastery of Braunau (Broumov), in the Year of Our Lord 1594, on the fourth day of March, have, at the request of the venerable lord Lord Martin, Abbot of Břevnov monastery in Braunau, sent this huge book to Prague through Matthias of Dorndorff and Biskupowo, gentleman, captain of police (?)

305 v detail1

Anno domini 92 aderat petrus Loddereclerus prahenŭs Boemus adque haec ad perpetuam sui memoriam scripsit, dum ab ordinibus reuertebatur etc. Fidiss: F. S .

[6th January]
In the Year of Our Lord 1592 Petrus Loddereclerus from Prague in Bohemia was here and wrote this in perpetual memory of himself, while he was returning from the meeting of the Estates etc. most faithful … (?)

305 v detail2

Ipsa octaua Epiphanie Anno 92. Abbate monasterii huius Reuerendo in Christo patre Domino Domino Martino, patre suo spirituali in Jesu charissimo primo hic fui Georgius Bartholdus Pontanus in Breitenberg, Metropolitane Ecclesie Pragensis Decanus, Comes Palatinus, Prothonotarius Apostolicus Canonicus Olomucensis.

Eodem die, Abbate, anno ut supra prima vice hic fui Laurentius Nigrinus Müglitzensis, artium liberalium magister ordinis Crucigerorum cum rubea stella Generalis ac Supremus Prior, denominatus commendator pontensis etc.

[12th January]
In the same octave of Epiphany (13th January) in 1592, when the abbot of this monastery was the venerable father in Christ Lord Martinus, I Georg Barthold Pontanus of Breitenberg, his best beloved spiritual father in Christ, Dean of the Cathedral in Prague, Count Palatine, Apostolic Protonotary, Canon of Olmütz (Olomouc) was here for the first time.

On the same day (13th January), Abbot, year as above (1592), I was here for the first time, Laurentius Nigrinus from Müglitz (Mohelnice), Master of the Liberal Arts, Grand Master General of the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, appointed Commander of Brux (Most) etc.

305 v detail3

Mors iuvenes rapit atque senes nulli miseretur

Death carries off young and old, shows nobody compassion.

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306 r detail 1

Joannes Huberus Pontanus, Sacrae Caesareae Maiestatis Cancellariae Imperialis Germanciae amanuensis, summo studio hunc grandem codicem, qui et multa ex eodem pro sua Maiestate Caesarea descripsit, perlustrauit, Anno 1597

[After 3rd February]
Johannes Huberus Pontanus, Amanuensis in the Imperial German Chancery of his Holy Imperial Majesty, most eagerly examined this huge book and transcribed much of the same for His Imperial Majesty, in the year 1597.

306 r detail 2

Vivit post funera virtus. Samuel Phagelus Pisnensis, notarius Nymburgensis, scribebat 16 Martii Anno 1594

[After 28th February]
Virtue survives death. Samuel Phagelus of Písecký, notary of Nimburg (Nymburk), wrote this on 16th March in the year 1594.

306 v detail1

Ja hanus Buchloweczky z Krzyskowicz na ten czas Urzednik na Nachodie / wiedieti dawam wssem wuobecz zie tyto knyhy w domie mem byli / przes nocz w Nedieli genz slowe Reminiscere na nocz priwezeni a do / pondiely ostali Letta Panie 1594 Manu propria

[6th March]
I Hanuš Buchlovecký z Křížkovic, at present an official of Nachod, make known to all and sundry that this book was in my home for the night of the Sunday called Reminiscere. It came for the night and remained until Monday in the Year of Our Lord 1594, by my own hand.

306 v detail2

Petrus Maczak, Canonicus Ratiboriensis et vicarius Pragensis Anno 1594

Eodem die Lucas Tibelius senior Vicarius Ecclesie Metropolitane arcis Pragensis scripsit 1594

[Between 9th and 10th March]
Petrus Maczak, canon of Ratibor (Racibórz) and vicar of Prague, in the year 1594.
On the same day Lucas Tibelius the Elder, Vicar of the Cathedral of Prague, wrote this in 1594.

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307 r

Anno 1588 17 Aprilis Ego Frater Paulus Wilkowskij polonus, prior Braunouiensis, librum mirabilem et magnificum lustrauit qui eum admiratione vidit. In fidem propria manu subscripsit.

[Before 1st April]
In the year 1588 on 17th April. I Brother Paulus Wilkowskij, Prior of Braunau (Broumov), inspected this marvellous and magnificent book and saw it in wonder, as a witness did put in writing herein by his own hand.