Remembering the Gospels in the Later Middle Ages: The Anonymous Capitula Euangeliorum Versifice Scripta

Abstract

This article presents a critical edition of the short mnemonic poem the Capitula Euangeliorum Versifice Scripta written most likely in Central Europe in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. Preserved in two manuscripts (one with interlinear glosses and one without), the Capitula takes an original approach to versification, dedicating one hexameter per biblical chapter and using words taken in most cases directly from the biblical narrative. At first glance the poem seems to represent a simple device for rote memorization, but a careful study of the text shows that the poet was an inventive versifier who was able to create an extremely concise, but at the same time also ingenious mnemonic composition.