Book of Nunnaminster

The Book of Nunnaminster
British Library, Harley MS 2965
Zoomorphic initial ‘d’: Book of Nunnaminster, f. 16v
Type	Prayer book
Date	c.800–c.825
Place of origin	England, S. (Mercia, diocese of Worcester?)
Language(s)	Latin, with Old English
Material	Parchment, ink
Size	215 × 160 (175 × 140) mm
Condition	First quire missing
Script	Insular minuscule
Contents	Gospel extracts; prayers
Illumination(s)	3 large initials with penwork, some zoomorphic. Smaller initials with coloured washes and red dots.
Other	Member of the Southumbrian 'Tiberius Group'

The Book of Nunnaminster (London, British Library, Harley MS 2965) is a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon prayerbook. It was written in the kingdom of Mercia, using an "insular" hand (as used in the British Isles), related to Carolingian minuscule. It was probably later owned by Ealhswith, wife of Alfred the Great. It is related to, but of an earlier date than, the Book of Cerne, and also to the Royal Prayerbook and the Harleian prayerbook. Like Cerne it contains the Passion narratives of the four Gospels and a collection of non-liturgical prayers, many of which relate to the Passion. The Book of Nunnaminster shares some poems with the Book of Cerne. It also includes some decorated initials.

The 'Nunnaminster' was another name for St Mary's Abbey, Winchester, which is known to have employed female scribes. Some scholars have suggested that the Book of Nunnaminster may have been written by one of these female scribes because of its continual use of female pronouns in many of the prayers.

External links

• British Library Digital Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts entry
• More information at Earlier Latin Manuscripts