Catalogues have been a staple library feature for the last several centuries, a useful finding tool for readers and organizational aid for librarians; they are also a representation of a particular...Show moreCatalogues have been a staple library feature for the last several centuries, a useful finding tool for readers and organizational aid for librarians; they are also a representation of a particular place and time. The form and content of a catalogue can provide insights into the social norms and scholarly interests of the era in which it was created. Employing a longitudinal and comparative approach, this thesis examines the published catalogues of Leiden University Library’s Hebrew manuscripts collection throughout its four centuries of existence. I compare these catalogues, mark the differences in the ways they describe Hebrew manuscripts, and illuminate the social changes or emerging scholarly fields that likely influenced their creators. Throughout this thesis, I argue that when it comes to Hebrew manuscripts, any examination of historical cataloguing trends or choices cannot be complete without also considering that era’s societal attitudes toward Jews, the original creators of the language and texts contained in said manuscripts. I conclude that there exists a direct correlation between the quality of the catalogues’ manuscript descriptions and the cataloguer’s knowledge of the Hebrew language and of Jewish literature and culture; I extrapolate the implications of this conclusion for the future of manuscript cataloguing in the digital age.Show less
This thesis studies a Middle Dutch Book of Hours which was copied in 1498 and illuminated in 1499 for Aef van Bolgerien, an inhabitant of Beverwijk, and which is currently preserved in the Special...Show moreThis thesis studies a Middle Dutch Book of Hours which was copied in 1498 and illuminated in 1499 for Aef van Bolgerien, an inhabitant of Beverwijk, and which is currently preserved in the Special Collections of Leiden University Libraries under the shelfmark BPL 2747. While several aspects of this manuscript have already received scholarly attention (in particular its colophon and decoration), this thesis presents a first comprehensive study into the history and contents of the codex. It focuses in particular on the way(s) in which the book was customized for the use by Aef van Bolgerien. Books of Hours were often made to order, meaning their contents could be adjusted to the preferences of the comissioner. As a result, while Books of Hours are the most surviving type of texts from the Middle Ages, they show great variety among them. As the selection of additional prayers in particular is specific to each copy, they offer insight into both the relgious practice of the first owner and, in general, into the practice of customising Books of Hours. For this reason, the eleven additional prayers contained in BPL 2747 were chosen to be transcribed and edited as part of the thesis. In the first chapter, the historical developments surrounding the production and use of the Book of Hours are discussed, focussing on developments in lay religious culture, the Devotio Moderna, and the vernacular translation of the Hours that was created in this context. The second chapter introduces the manuscript central to the study, BPL 2747, and provides insight into elements such as the materiality, provenance and decorations of the book. The third chapter contains a transcription of the prayers separate from the Hours. The final chapter, chapter 4, adresses the dissemination of the prayers and what they may tell us about van Bolgerien’s devotional practice.Show less
This master’s thesis presents an edition of part of a handwritten recipe book dating from the first half of the eighteenth century. It was written by the semi aristocratic and VOC-director Aarnout...Show moreThis master’s thesis presents an edition of part of a handwritten recipe book dating from the first half of the eighteenth century. It was written by the semi aristocratic and VOC-director Aarnout van Citters from Zeeland, The Netherlands. Recepten voor de Keuken/Recepten voor Menschen (Recipes for the Kitchen/Recipes for Humans), preserved in the Manuscript Department of Amsterdam University Library (shelf-mark VIII E 14), is a book with different content on each side. It features culinary recipes on one side, and, when the book is turned around, medical recipes on the other side. In this edition, all culinary recipes and a small selection of the medical recipes have been transcribed. The aim of this edition is to present this fascinating historical document about the art of cooking to the modern day reader and to offer a historical context to help the reader interpret the recipes.Show less
In 2002 and 2010 boxes were discovered in the archives of the Ethnology Museum in Leiden. These boxes contained around 7600 lemma’s and numerous books with drawings. These lemma’s and drawings...Show moreIn 2002 and 2010 boxes were discovered in the archives of the Ethnology Museum in Leiden. These boxes contained around 7600 lemma’s and numerous books with drawings. These lemma’s and drawings combined make up the unfinished work of two of the Penard brothers. These two, out of four, brothers lived in Suriname and did research into the Kari’na Amerindian society in the coastal area of Suriname. The emphasis of their research was into the cosmovision and worldview of the Kari’na, with which they delivered astonishing work in documenting the cosmovision and belief system of the Kari’na. The Penard manuscript would be their biggest publication, an encyclopedia of the Caribbean, if not for the timely demise of two of the Penard brothers. The Penard manuscript has a great potential for the archaeology of Suriname and the archaeology of the Caribbean in general. Due to the combination of the drawings and the lemma’s, we possess a great body of information about the cosmological belief system of the Kari’na. This provides us with a greater knowledge of the iconographic culture of the Kari’na. And since iconographic material is an important part of the material culture of the Kari’na, it can provide us with information about the trade and migration in the Caribbean. But since my research was meant as a preliminary research into the potential of the Penard manuscript, further research has to be conducted to assess the true value of the manuscript.Show less
