AUTHOR: UNKNOWN

LANGUAGE: RUNIC

DATE: 1300

PAGE #: 202

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 8.75 X 11.25 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE CODEX RUNICUS IS A MEDIEVAL RUNIC MANUSCRIPT WRITTEN AROUND THE YEAR 1300. IT IS 202 PAGES CONTAINING THE OLDEST PRESERVED NORDIC PROVINCIAL LAW, SCANIAN LAW PERTAINING TO THE DANISH LAND SCANIA. CODEX RUNICUS IS ONE OF THE FEW RUNIC TEXTS FOUND ON PARCHMENT. THE MANUSCRIPTS INITIALS ARE PAINTED VARIOUS COLORS, AND THE RUBRICS ARE RED. EACH RUNE CORRESPONDS TO A LETTER OF THE LATIN ALPHABET.

THE MANUSCRIPT HAS THREE MAJOR PARTS: THE SCANIAN LAW, THE SCANNIAN ECCLESTICAL LAW, AND A CHRONICLE OF THE EARLY DANISH MONARCHS ALONG WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE DANISH-SWEDISH BORDER. THE SCANIAN ECCLESIASTICAL LAW IS A SETTLEMENT DETAILING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, AGREED UPON BY THE SCANIANS AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF LUND IN THE LATE 12TH CENTURY. THE TWO LAW TEXTS ARE WRITTEN IN THE SAME HAND, BUT THE NON-LEGAL MATERIAL OF THE CODEX IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN ADDED IN ANOTHER HAND AT A LATER DATE. THE HISTORY SECTION CONSISTS OF A FRAGMENT OF A LIST OF DANISH KINGS AND A CHRONICLE BEGINNING WITH THE LEGENDARY DANISH KING HADDING’S SON FRODE. THERE IS AN ENDING WITH ERIC VI OF DENMARK. FOLLOWING THE HISTORICAL TEXTS, A DESCRIPTION OF THE OLDEST BORDER BETWEEN SWEDEN AND DENMARK (REFERRED TO AS “THE DANEHOLM SETTLEMENT''). ON THE LAST LEAF OF CODEX RUNICUS, THERE IS A VERSE WITH MUSICAL NOTATIONS, THE FIRST MUSICAL NOTATIONS WRITTEN IN SCANDINAVIA. IT IS THE EARLIEST WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF SECULAR MUSIC IN DENMARK, A NON-RHYTHMIC NOTATION ON A FOUR-LINE STAFF.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

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