München, BSB, Clm 6434

Library	München, BSB
Shelfmark	Clm 6434
Century	s. VIIIex
Place of origin	Freising Chapter Cathedral
European region of origin	Southern Germany
General region of origin	Germany
Specific region of origin	Freising
Collection	Collectio CCL capitulorum
Main author	Lotte Kéry
Main author	Bruno Schalekamp

München, Bayerische Staatsbiliothek, Clm 6434 is a manuscript from the third to fourth quarter of the eighth century of 112 folios in two parts (part I: fols. 1r-40v; part II: fols. 41r-112v) in 1 col. (180 x 125 mm (I: 140 – 150 x 100 mm in 18 lines; II: 150 x 90 – 110 mm in 19 lines)). Its codicological composition, containing 14 quires, reads as follows: 5 x IV⁴⁰ + 9 x IV¹¹². Quire signatures start at II⁸ until VI⁴⁰, followed by I⁴⁸, and continued at IIII⁷² until VIIIus¹⁰⁴. Modern foliation in Arabic numerals in distinct black ink. The manuscript was written in saec. VIII^ex, possibly during the incumbency of bishop Arbeo (764-768) according to Bischoff and McKitterick. Part I was written by one hand, part II by five different hands. All hands are in pre-Caroline minuscule, strongly influenced by ‘insular elements’ according to Glauche or 'insular influence[s]' according to McKitterick. The manuscript's origin is from Freising's Chapter Cathedral and it probably remained there since until it was transferred to the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.

Contents

The codex is a medium-sized codex and contains a mix of canonical, epistolary, and grammatical material. It includes an early, 'derivative', or excerpted version of the Collectio CCL capitulorum, a fragment of Arnobius junior's Exposition, epistles by St. Jerome, and the second epitome of Audax grammaticus' De Scauri et Palladii. Some probationes pennae conclude the manuscript.

The codex has previously been considered mostly in either the study of early medieval grammar or the insular influence on continental canon law. Specifically, it has been considered to be a manuscript witness of the famous Collectio Hibernensis, of which its included canonical collection, indeed, seems to have been excerpted. Previously, Mordek mentions the 250 capitulorum as ‘die Hibernensis-Kanones in Cod. München Lat. 6434’ on p. 258. Glauche calls it the ‘Collectio Hibernensis abbreviata et in CCL titulos digesta (excerpta)’ on p. 303.

Interestingly, McKitterick considers the manuscript to be related to the compilation known as Collectio Frisingensis on p. 34-35 of ‘The Church and the Law’. In a much earlier publication, however, McKitterick previously presented a more nuanced view, stating that Clm 6434 was made ‘about the same time as the additions made to Clm 6243’ on p. 102. She furthermore states, based on Bischoff, that the manuscript was ‘copied from an insular exemplar, perhaps to be associated with the arrival of the first bishop, Corbinian.’ Lastly, McKitterick makes a mistake in recapitulating the contents of the manuscript, stating that fols. ’41-112’ contained ‘the Collectio Hibernensis’. While, indeed, the 250 capitulorum is an excerpt of the Hibernensis, it can be considered a separate collection and stops earlier on in the manuscript at fol. 75.

The Galway database of Earlier Latin Manuscripts considers the manuscript to resemble the script of Clm 6279 and 6282, calling its script ‘a roundish early minuscule’. According to the database, ‘the scribe manifestly copied an Irish exemplar and was puzzled by unfamiliar features which he unsuccessfully imitated, …’ (see Volume / Number: 9 / 1284 of the ELM Galway database, modified in 2017 and viewed in 2025)

Steinova considers the manuscript to be ‘a law collection to which excerpts from grammarians were attached.’

folios	content
	Front cover. Includes the manuscript signature on the inside of the cover.
1r-16r	Arnobius junior: Expositiunculae duorum Evangeliorum (fragment).
16r-40v	St. Jerome: Epistulae tres (fragment).
41r-75r	Collectio 250 capitulorum, or excerpts of the Collectio Hibernensis ordened in 250 titles.
75r-111r	Audax grammaticus: De Scauri et Palladii libris excerpta, epitome II.
111v-112v	Probationes pennae. fol. 112rv was cut off through the middle for unknown reasons.
	Back cover

Literature

Bischoff, Schreibschulen Vol. 1 (1960), p. 59-64 and 79-81, n. 1; Glauche, Die Pergamenthandschriften aus dem Domkapitel Freising Vol. 2 (Wiesbaden 2011) p. 301-304; Gorman, The Study of the Bible in the Early Middle Ages (2007), p. 435; Kéry, Canonical Collections (1999), p. 76 and 83; McKitterick, ‘Canon Law in the Frankish Kingdoms’ (1985), p. 102-103; McKitterick, ‘The Church and the Law in the Early Middle Ages’ (2020), p. 34-35; Mordek, Kirchenrecht und Reform (1975), p. 258; Reynolds, ‘Unity and diversity’ (1983), p. 106; Steinova, ‘The use of technical signs in the early Middle Ages’ (2016), p. 238 n. 897; Wilmart, ‘La diffusion des notes exégétiques d’Arnobe le Jeune’ (1920), p. 53-57; Wright & Wright, ‘Additions to the Bobbio Missal’ (2004), p. 92 n. 52.

An article by Sven Meeder on the 250 (and 400) will soon be published. An edition of the Collectio CCL capitulorum is currently being prepared by Friederike Voit and Bruno Schalekamp.