Golden Psalter of St. Gall

Golden Splendor From More Than 1100 Years Ago

The work on the Golden Psalter of St. Gall probably began in a scriptorium in Soissons – possibly in the circle of the East Frankish king and grandson of Charlemagne Louis of Germany (c. 806–876). Who exactly commissioned this luxurious manuscript is unfortunately not known, especially since it was not completed during this first work phase. The unbound folios arrived around 870/80 at the monastery of St. Gall, which was one of the most influential and important scriptoria in Europe between the 9th and 11th centuries and thus a cultural center of the time. There the manuscript was revised, completed and illuminated in two further work phases (883–888 and between 890 and 900).

A "Psalterium aureum" from St. Gall

It is not without reason that the codex is also called a Psalterium aureum: The Old Testament psalm texts shine entirely in golden Carolingian minuscules, while the tituli were executed in a more monumental-looking Capitalis Rustica of gold or minium. Although the text was initially written in brass ink at Soissons, probably for reasons of cost, this was mostly used to imitate the effect of gold ink. Later, these parts of the text were traced with real gold ink by the St. Gall illuminators, and the missing psalms were also added in gold. This peculiarity gave the golden letters a character all their own, making them appear more yellowish in some places and more greenish in others. The patina, which is more than 1000 years old, contributes to this. This chrysographic masterpiece is completed by numerous large and medium-sized initials made of golden letter bodies decorated with interlace and vegetal ornaments.

Old Testament figures in Carolingian dress

The 17 miniatures, nine of which take up an entire page, were also added in St. Gall. The protagonist of the mostly narrative images is King David, who was not only known as the king of the Israelites and the conqueror of Goliath, but was also attributed the authorship of the Psalms in the Middle Ages. Thus, most of the illuminations depict scenes from David's life. The elaborate late Carolingian painting is characterized both by reminiscences of antiquity and by two-dimensional figures with strong facial expressions and gestures and a vivid color palette dominated by purple, minium, green, and gold. Many of the Old Testament figures are also striking for their Frankish garb, which places them in the time of the Psalter's creation, giving us today a captivating glimpse into the world of the Carolingian early Middle Ages.

A golden treasure of the Abbey Library of St. Gall

With this beyond splendid decoration, the liturgical book probably did not serve for the monks' everyday prayers, but was rather used on high feast days in St. Gall and most likely also displayed for distinguished visitors. Today, after centuries of use, the valuable and exceptionally well-preserved manuscript is still at the place of its creation, in the Abbey on the Steinach, and is now kept in a protective safe as one of the most magnificent treasures in the collection of the Abbey Library.