Canticles with Hymn (Te Deum) and Athanasian Creed

Texts and Images

This manuscript contains the 10 Canticles commonly found in medieval Psalters. These songs of praise, extracted from the Old Testament and from St Luke’s Gospel, were recited daily like the Psalms.

The first one, the Canticle of Isaiah, opens with a large, red initial on a blue ground with foliate ornament in multicoloured washes, but no touches of gold. The remaining Canticles, as well as the hymn beginning Te Deum laudamus ('God, we praise you') and the Athanasian Creed (Quicumque vult salvus esse, 'Whosoever will be saved') are marked by large blue and red initials filled with scrolling patterns in the contrasting colour.