Excerptiones Egberti: Difference between revisions

Selected Canon Law Collections, ca. 500–1234
alt titles
created article based on Kéry and Elliott
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{{Infobox collection|title=Excerptiones Egberti|author1=[[User:Christof Rolker|Christof Rolker]]|century=saec. XI|normregion=England|wikidata=Q16827379|mss=some (2–9)|alttitle=Excerptiones Pseudo-Egberti|alttitle1=Collectio canonum Wigorniensis}}
{{Infobox collection|title=Excerptiones Egberti|author1=[[User:Christof Rolker|Christof Rolker]]|century=saec. XI|normregion=England|wikidata =Q16827379|mss=some (2–9)|alttitle =Excerptiones Pseudo-Egberti|alttitle3 = Collectio canonum Wigorniensis (Elliott)
|alttitle1 = Excerptiones de libris canonicis (Wormald)|alttitle2 = Wulfstan's canon law collection (Cross/Hamer)
}}
 
The ''Excerptiones'' are an Anglo-Saxon canon law collection extant in five manuscripts. Content, structure, and wording of the material differ considerably between the extant manuscripts. While two copies refer to the collection as ''Excerptiones de libris canonicis'', scholarship is divided about the correct title; in any case the attribution to Egbert of York has long been dismissed. Instead, the collection is generally accepted to be closely associated with Wulfstan of York (successively bishop of Worcester, London, and York), though it remains uncertain which role he had in the making of which version.
 
{{Author|Kéry}}, Collections p. {{Kéry|239}}) lists two manuscripts of the first recension ([[Cambridge, Parker Library, 190]] and [[London, British Library, Cotton Nero A.i]]), three manuscripts of the second recensio ([[Cambridge, Parker Library, 265]], [[Oxford, Bodleian Library, Barlow 37]], and [[Rouen, BM, U.109 (CGM 1382)]]) plus a fragment of an unspecified version ([[Oxford, Bodleian Library, Junius 121]]). All manuscripts come from Worcester and are connected to Wulfstan one way or the other.
 
The collection was first described as such, and edited, by Henry Spelman in 1639. Ever since, it has attracted much scholarly attention as important Anglo-Saxon document. In 1999 James E. Cross and Andrew Hamer provided a new edition, and established that the longer version depended on the shorter, more stable version; they remained neutral on the exact role of Wulfstan, but argued for his influence, whether direct or indirect, in the evolution of the collection. Elliott argued that on account of the stability of the first recension it should not be seen as Wulfstan's work, while the very instability of the second was indicative of his involvement; he argued at length that the variety of the manuscripts, including the combination with different materials were a feature, but a bug:
 


{{Author|Kéry}}, Collections p. {{Kéry|239}}. distinguished two recensions, the first being extant in [[Cambridge, Parker Library, 190]] and [[London, British Library, Cotton Nero A.i]], and a second one extant in [[Cambridge, Parker Library, 265]], [[Oxford, Bodleian Library, Barlow 37]], and [[Rouen, BM, U.109 (CGM 1382)]]; plus a fragment of an unspecified version, [[Oxford, Bodleian Library, Junius 121]].


==Literature==
==Literature==
{{Author|Kéry}}<nowiki>, Collections pp. {{Kéry|238}239.</nowiki>
{{Author|Kéry}}, Collections pp. {{Kéry|238}-239.
 
 
[[Category:Canonical Collection]]
[[Category:Collection from England]]
[[Category:Collection saec XI]]
[[Category:Pre-Gratian Collection]]
[[Category:Pre-Gratian Collection containing papal letters]]
[[Category:Lacks categories]]

Revision as of 00:31, 24 November 2025

Title Excerptiones Egberti
Key ?
Alternative title Excerptiones Pseudo-Egberti
Alternative title Excerptiones de libris canonicis (Wormald)
Alternative title Wulfstan's canon law collection (Cross/Hamer)
Alternative title Collectio canonum Wigorniensis (Elliott)
Wikidata Item no. Q16827379
Century saec. XI
European region of origin England
Author Christof Rolker
No. of manuscripts some (2–9)


The Excerptiones are an Anglo-Saxon canon law collection extant in five manuscripts. Content, structure, and wording of the material differ considerably between the extant manuscripts. While two copies refer to the collection as Excerptiones de libris canonicis, scholarship is divided about the correct title; in any case the attribution to Egbert of York has long been dismissed. Instead, the collection is generally accepted to be closely associated with Wulfstan of York (successively bishop of Worcester, London, and York), though it remains uncertain which role he had in the making of which version.

Kéry, Collections p. 239) lists two manuscripts of the first recension (Cambridge, Parker Library, 190 and London, British Library, Cotton Nero A.i), three manuscripts of the second recensio (Cambridge, Parker Library, 265, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Barlow 37, and Rouen, BM, U.109 (CGM 1382)) plus a fragment of an unspecified version (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Junius 121). All manuscripts come from Worcester and are connected to Wulfstan one way or the other.

The collection was first described as such, and edited, by Henry Spelman in 1639. Ever since, it has attracted much scholarly attention as important Anglo-Saxon document. In 1999 James E. Cross and Andrew Hamer provided a new edition, and established that the longer version depended on the shorter, more stable version; they remained neutral on the exact role of Wulfstan, but argued for his influence, whether direct or indirect, in the evolution of the collection. Elliott argued that on account of the stability of the first recension it should not be seen as Wulfstan's work, while the very instability of the second was indicative of his involvement; he argued at length that the variety of the manuscripts, including the combination with different materials were a feature, but a bug:


Literature

Kéry, Collections pp. {{Kéry|238}-239.