19 December 2017

19th of December

Manuscript Advent Calendar

No ill will among men

(Click on the picture for a larger version)

Marine Lauridsdatter's prayer book (AM 423 12mo) was written around 1536, the date of the Reformation in Denmark. 

At the back of the book there is an addition which states: ”thenne bog hør fru Marine Erik skrams till” (This book belongs to Mrs Marine Erik Skram's). The woman in question is Marine Lauridsdatter Løvenbalk of Tjele (d. 1554); she was married to Erik Skram Fasti of Hastrup (d. 1568), with whom she had many children.

The book measures 111 x 85 x 35 mm (approx. 4½" x 3½" x 1½") and consists of two parts, 186 leaves in all, wrapped in a homemade leather binding covered in silk. 

At least six different people have written the prayers in the books - prayers that are from both before and after the Reformation. The name Marine Lauridsdatter appears in two prayers, both of which are written in the same hand. 

Her name is first written on f. 21r. In the prayer she appeals to God, Jesus and the Virgin Mary asking for protection from both material and immaterial dangers. The prayer also includes an admonition to the enemies - both visible and invisible - of the person praying that they should not hurt her, 'look at her with bold eyes' or 'mention her with harmful mouth', and that they should not hurt her by 'hearing with the ears', 'thinking with thought', 'grabbing with hands' or 'walking with feet'. 

The same hand has written a prayer to the Holy Trinity on f. 94, and perhaps the name 'Maria', which appears at the beginning of the prayer, is a mistake and should be 'Marine'. This prayer is also about protection from enemies and their deceit, ill will and hatred.

(Click on the picture for a larger version)