Here are the opening pages of the Origo Gentis Longobardorum. I’ve previously posted the full manuscript version (Madrid) here but there are two others that are of interest to anyone curious about Suavs or, naturally Lombards. I’ve included the front pages from Modena and those others. The names are:
- Cava de’ Tirreni
- Modena
- Madrid
The names of the Vandal dukes – Ambri and Assi are outlined in red in each of the three.
The Pertz reference is to the MGH edition. Pertz seems to think the Cava de’ Tirreni MS is the newest though it seems it may be the oldest instead. In fact, looking at the MGH edition in comparison to the actual manuscript pages, you can immediately spot where Pertz made some mistakes, deviations from his text either not being noted or being shown as different than they really are (for example, for the Cava de’ Tirreni manuscript Lethingys shown as Lethingis).
These are all conveniently accessible via the University of Köln website that provides links to various medieval legal texts – the Bibliotheca Legum.
Cava de’ Tirreni
Biblioteca della Badia di Cava, 4
(early 9th century, though Pertz says 11th)
Pertz 1b)
This manuscript also features a cool Völkertaffel upfront that is not part of the Origo.
Then there is a picture of Godan (getting up from his bed to find the “long beards”), Frea, Gambara and her sons Ybor and Agio as well as the Winnili on the right side of the picture. The author seems to have provided other pictures in the manuscript though high artistry this is not).
What is interesting is that Godan is written Goban with a “b”.
This is the first page. It is not exactly great quality. Curiously, the immediately following page is not present in the manuscript – at least not in the electronic version though it seems also not in the codex. Quite separate from that, the Bibliotheca Legum description seems incorrect as indicates that the Origo in this codex runs from 5r to 70v which, given how short that work is, can’t be right (though I did not delve into what is on those pages – some Langobardic legal text).
In any event, the next page jumps to Zucho and Wacho and their adventures.
Modena
Biblioteca Capitolare 0.I.2
(9th century, though Pertz says 10th)
Pertz, 2)
Madrid
Biblioteca Nacional 413
(11th century, though Pertz says 10th)
Pertz 1a)
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