Codex Sangallensis 381

[1][2][3] The origins of the manuscript can be viewed as a part of a bigger process of trope writing as well as the extension of originally Roman liturgy, which was not only shaped by the three influential figures Tuotilo, Notker and Ratpert at the abbey in St. Gallen, but also occurred in the larger context of the entire Frankish empire.

This assumption is based on a charter dated at 926-928 which was signed with the name “Salomon” and whose writing can be identified as that featured in the codex.

In the literature, some doubts remain regarding the actual name of the scribe, which is why most publications use the neutral term Σ (sigma).

Both manuscripts can thus be interpreted as a part of a larger process of trope collection that took place in the abbey at the same time.

[5] The size as well as the simple realisation of the codex suggests that it was meant for the hand of a monastic cantor, whose role during the mass came close to that of a lead singer.

Furthermore, the entire inventory of Notker’s Liber Ymnorum, a book dedicated to the bishop Liutward of Vercelli and consisting of roughly 40 sequences, is also present in the manuscript.

It describes techniques of articulation for the correct pronunciation of the letters of the Latin (and partially the Greek and German) alphabet.

The remaining manuscript contains a collection of versus (metric processional hymns, tropes, and sequences in the following order: Particularly during the golden age of the abbey – during the time of Notker, Ratpert and Tuotilo – St. Gallen was known for the ingenuity as well as the quality of the produced chants.

[12] Simultaneously, a not insignificant number of copies from southern France, the Alsace as well as northern Italy have been recorded.