Anne Mette Hansen: AM 421 12mo, an artefactual philological study

The manuscript known as Marine Jespersdatter's Prayer Book (AM 421 12mo), in the Arnamagnæan Collection at the University of Copenhagen is one of several extant prayer books in a small portable format. It is a parchment manuscript presumable put together for the use of a noblewoman named Marine Jespersdatter at some point between 1514 (1517) and 1536, the time of the Reformation in Denmark.

The book contains a number of prayer texts, among others a psalter (rosary) illustrated with coloured miniatures depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and the childhood, life and resurrection of Jesus.

An artefactual philological study comprises the whole book: codicology (collation, signatures, layout, and decoration), textual content, the relationship between text and image, and paleography/orthography.

This examination of the book has shown that it was put together of two originally independent items and then bound, one collection of prayers for the use of Marine Jespersdatter, and another collection named "Nogle gudelige bønner" [A few godly prayers] with no specific user's name.