PSALTER - The Creation of the Stars. Miniature from the Psalter of Paul III, executed with particular care by scribes and illuminators who produced a rich series of psalters adorned with exquisite artistic taste, beginning with those transcribed in fine uncial and semi-uncial letters on purple parchment (7th century and Carolingian era) down to those finely illuminated from the 16th century. Suffice it to recall the 6th-century purple uncial psalter in silver and gold of St. Germain (cf. Le roquais [see bibliography], II, pp. 110-111); the 8th-century uncial psalter of Stuttgart (A. Dold, in Röm. Quartalschrift, 1934); the psalter of the abbey of Hautvillers, known as the Utrecht Psalter of the 9th century (cf. E. T. De Wald, The illustrations of the Utrecht Psalter, London-Leipzig 1932); the psalter of Egbert of Trier at Cividale, executed between 977 and 993 (cf. H. V. Sauerland-H. Haseloff, Der Psalter Erzbischof Egberts von Trier. Codex Gertrudianus [in Cividale, Trier 1901]); the psalter of St. Louis of the 13th century (cf. Le roquais, II, pp. 101-105); the psalter of Charles VIII, ca. 1490 (Le roquais, II, pp. 57-58); the psalter of Paul III of 1542 (L. Dorez, Le psautier de Paul III, Paris 1909), etc. Even some of the earliest printed editions are notable for their harmony. The most ornate parts of manuscript psalters are: 1) the calendar, where the depictions of the months and the zodiac are often reproduced; 2) certain pages placed before the psalms; and 3) the section reserved for the text of the psalms themselves. From the 8th century onward, the pages preceding the psalms prominently feature David and Christ in Majesty or even on the Cross; David, with his musical instrument, is sometimes accompanied by other psalmists playing with him. From the 12th century onward, scenes related to Christ take on greater development; in the 13th-14th centuries, these pages are decorated with entire cycles of scenes drawn from the Old and New Testaments. Various systems have been used to illustrate the text of the psalms: each psalm is adorned with scenes related to its content, or the psalter is divided into three or five books, and in the first case, psalms 1, 51, and 101 are illuminated; in the second, psalms 1, 41, 72, 89, and 106; at other times, the first psalm of each feria is adorned (1, 26, 38, 51, 52, 68, 80, 97, 101, 109), though not always does the figure relate to the content of the psalm. In addition to the pages fully or partially illuminated, there is a whole range of large and small initial letters and marginal decorations executed with rare skill and unrestrained imagination.
(from L. Dorez, Le psautier de Paul III, Paris 1805, pl. 7; Sacrzano - The Creation of the Stars. Miniature from the Psalter of Paul III copied by Federico Mario da Perugia in 1542 and illuminated by Vincenzo Raimondo da Lodève - Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, ms. lat. 888o, fol. 182v.
Gallie, whence the name
A. Pietro Frutaz
4. Liturgical Weekly Division of the Psalter — In the weekly distribution of the psalter (Psalterium dispositum per hebdomadam), a distinction is made between the monastic cycle and the Roman cycle for secular clergy. The monastic cycle, established by St. Benedict in his monastic Rule (chapters 8-18), assigns the psalms to be recited in a week, with 12 psalms at Matins (a number already sanctified by early monks), beginning on Sunday with Psalm 20 and ending with Psalm 108 on Saturday; Psalms 109-147 are reserved for Vespers, Psalms 1-19 for Prime, and for the minor Hours of Sunday, as well as for Terce, Sext, and None on Monday, the 22 sections of Psalm 118 are used, while on other days the so-called gradual psalms are recited.
Other Western monastic cycles refer to St. Caesarius of Arles (c. 502: Ordo psallendi) and St. Columbanus (d. 615). The Roman cycle, allegedly established by Pope Damasus (d. 384), also recites the psalter in a week, beginning at Sunday Matins with Psalm 1 and ending on Saturday with Psalm 108; in the Sunday Matins, the number of psalms was reduced by St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) to 12 + 3 + 3 (previously 14 + 6 + 6), while on weekdays it was arranged as 12 psalms; the 22 sections of Psalm 118 were repeated daily in the minor Hours; Psalms 109-147 were reserved for Vespers. This order was maintained even in the reform of Pius V (d. 1572) until Bl. Pius X, who, on November 19, 1911, ordered a new distribution of the psalms, assigning nine psalms to Matins, respecting the ancient order of two large sections of Psalms 1-108 at Matins and 109-144 at Vespers, assigning the others to the minor Hours and dividing the longer ones following the example of the Egyptian monks and St. Benedict.
The liturgical text of the psalter until St. Pius V was that of the Psalterium Romanum, which St. Pius V replaced with that of the Psalterium Gallicanum. Pius XII introduced (March 14, 1945) a new version made from the Hebrew text.
The term "psalter" is sometimes used to refer to the Rosary because of its 150 Hail Marys, which correspond to the number of psalms.
II. THE PSALTER IN EASTERN RITES — In the Byzantine rite, the psalter is divided into twenty *cathismata*, each *cathisma* into three *staseis*; each *stasis* may contain three or more psalms and concludes with the *Gloria Patri*. Nine biblical canticles are added; this is already found in the 5th-century Codex Alexandrinus, which, however, has fourteen. The psalter was the first Greek liturgical book to be printed: Venice, probably 1494.
In the Slavonic psalter, the Athanasian Creed and other writings concerning the faith precede the psalms, and the final canticle is followed by prayers for the dying and the dead; in other psalters, selected psalms are added for private reading of a *cathisma*. In Moscow as in Kiev, another type of psalter called *Psalteri s. posliedovanien* was conceived and published; in addition to the ordinary psalter, it includes three supplements: the *Horologion*, the *Troparia* and *Kondakia* for the entire year, the Office of Holy Communion, and other parts.
The psalter is recited in continuous reading, with one *cathisma* at Vespers and two or three at Matins, once a week, twice during Lent (cf. E. Mercenier - F. Paris, La Prière des Églises de rite byzantin, I, Chevetogne 1947, p. 14, note 2, pp. 207-209; H. Schneider, Die biblischen Oden..., in Biblica, 30 [1949], pp. 28-65, 239-72, 432-52, 479-500).
Among the psalters illuminated with marginal images, important examples include the Khudov Psalter of the 9th century, the Vatican Barberini
(from T. Uspenski, L'art byzantin chez les slaves, Paris 1932, pl. 71) Psalter — Page from the Greek Khudov Psalter, with a 12th-century miniature depicting Zion with Mary and Jesus, the anointing of David, and the martyrdom of the Maccabees. Palimpsest codex, the oldest uncial script is from the 9th century, the most recent cursive script is from the 12th century — Moscow, State Historical Museum.
In the 11th century Greek manuscript (cf. N. Kondakov, *Miniaturi...* [in Russian], Moscow 1878), and the *Litsevaja Psaltir’* of 1397 (reproduced, St. Petersburg 1890; see also J. Strzygowski, *Die Miniaturen des serbischen Psalters der Königlichen Hof- und Staatsbibliothek in München*, Vienna 1906, and L. Mariès, *L’irruption des Saints dans l’illustration du psautier byzantin*, in *Anal. Boll.*, 68 [1950], pp. 153–62). Among the illuminated psalters with full-page illustrations, the Paris Psalter of the 10th century is well known (cf. H. Buchthal, *The Miniatures of the Paris Psalter*, London 1938).
In the Armenian rite, the psalter is divided into eight sections called “canons,” each comprising a biblical canticle. Each “canon” corresponds to one of the eight musical tones. Since during the Night Office a “canon” is recited each day, the reading of the psalter is completed in eight days. The cycle begins on the First Sunday of Lent, starting with the first tone. Each “canon” is divided into seven sections, ending with the *Gloria Patri*. This system already existed by at least the 7th century. Many manuscripts and editions, however, add the Canticle of Daniel, the *Magnificat*, the *Benedictus*, the *Nunc dimittis*, and the Prayer of Manasseh (cf. F. C. Conybeare, *Rituale Armenorum*, Oxford 1905, p. 446).
In the West Syrian rite, the psalter is today divided into twenty sections (= *marmijatā*) and sixty doxologies (= *Gloria Patri*). They always add three canticles: Moses (Exodus), Isaiah, Moses (Deuteronomy), and often three others: the *Magnificat*, the Beatitudes, and the *Gloria in excelsis*; at the end, the Nicene Symbol is not infrequently found. Under Byzantine influence, the psalter has sometimes included other canticles as well. In antiquity, a *marmītā* was recited in each nocturn of the Night Office; for many centuries, liturgical poems have taken its place, though the psalter still had an edition as late as 1912 in Sharfeh.
In the East Syrian rite, the psalter is divided into twenty *hūlālē* and each *hūlālā* into two or more *marmijatā*; each of these includes two or three psalms, interspersed with prayers. The cycle is recited assiduously in the Night Office. Catholic editions: Rome 1842, Mosul 1912. For the distribution of the psalms, cf. A. J. Maclean, *East Syrian Daily Offices*, London 1894, pp. 260–63.
In the Coptic rite, the psalter comprises twenty *kathismata* and sixty doxologies (= *Gloria Patri*). Eleven odes are added, followed by the Canticle of Daniel, the *Magnificat*, the *Benedictus*, the *Nunc dimittis*, and the *Gloria in excelsis* (according to the Greek recension). Each liturgical hour begins with the recitation of twelve psalms. Editions by R. Tuki (q.v.) were published in Rome in 1744. Ethiopic manuscripts not infrequently add the *Song of Songs* as well (cf. S. Grébaud, *Manuscrits éthiopiens appartenant à M. N. Bergey*, in *Rev. de l’Orient Chrét.*, 25 [1925–26], pp. 196–219). — See plates CVII–CVIII.