The Prince and the Plunder

A book on how Britain took one boy and piles of treasures from Ethiopia

Category: The Plunder

Scroll with faces, eyes, saltire crosses, cross (IE TCD MS 3810) *

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: Described as “Ethiopic [religious] text with slight rubrication, end decoration and illustrated miniatures consisting of faces, eyes, saltire crosses, cross, 1090x71mm, rolled vellum.”

Where: Trinity College Library – Dublin

One of at least 19 Ethiopic manuscripts listed in the library’s database.

Library ref: IE TCD MS 3810
database entry – https://manuscripts.catalogue.tcd.ie/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=IE+TCD+MS+3809-3810&pos=12

Provenance:
Purchased by TCLD 9 June 1905. Brought from Abyssinia in 1869 [receipt kept with rolls]. Found in Classing Room, April 1964
1869 is the year after the Abyssinian Expedition

Posted In Manuscripts | Scrolls | Suspected Magdala plunder
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An illustrated manuscript of Genesis “found in a soldier’s chest” – link to Maqdala now doubted (RBR 165.86) *

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript of Genesis, described in one record as c. 1500, with illustrations including “quails in the land of milk and honey”. According to that record, it was found in a chest “dating from the Wars of King Theodore” and was “said to be looted”. But there are now doubts about that the dating and the account of its discovery.

Where: Boston College, Law Library, The Daniel R. Coquillette Rare Book Room, 885 Centre Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02459

A guide to the exhibit “Recent Additions to the Collection – Spring 2007”: describes:

“ETHIOPIAN MANUSCRIPT: OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF GENESIS
This copy was found in a British officer’s chest dating from the Wars of King Theodore in the Victorian era. It was said to be looted from the famous library at Gondar after it was captured by British troops.
Gift of Daniel R. Coquillette.”

It is also mentioned in this brochure for the Daniel R. Coquillette Rare Book Room.

But after further examinations, library staff raised doubts about that account and estimated that the manuscript was from the late 19th century. The current library catalogue entry mentions that dats and has no mention of Maqdala.

Library ref: RBR 165.86

Posted In Biblical books | Manuscripts | The Plunder
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The Bonn manuscript

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript taken from Magdala

Where: The University of Bonn, University and State Library, Adenauerallee 39-41, 53113 Bonn

This manuscript is listed in Veronika Six’s huge survey of “Oriental” works in German collections: Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland (VOHD) XX, 6, pp. 199-202:

“Three manuscripts, one of which was taken from Magdala by Gerhard Rohlfs in 1868.” A fourth Ethiopian manuscript in the university library disappeared during World War Two.

Tracked down by the even more voluminous Menestrel website.

Posted In Biblical books | Manuscripts | The Plunder
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An 18th century strip of parchment with Magdala mentioned on the back (OR 12114 B)

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An 18th century Ethiopian strip of parchment, folded like a concertina, with three miniatures, prayers and prescriptions and a note on the back mentioning Magdala

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Description

An 18th century strip of manuscript containing “magical prayers and prescriptions”, according to the catalogue. A note on the back reads: “Found in Theodore’s Church, at the storming of Magdala”.

Sources

Listed as Or 12114 B in the British Library catalogue

Catalogue of Ethiopian manuscripts in the British Library acquired since the year 1877 / compiled by S. Strelcyn

Posted In Manuscripts | Scrolls | The Plunder
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An 18th century manuscript including prescriptions and a formula for changing into a lion (OR 11390)

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / 2 Comments on An 18th century manuscript including prescriptions and a formula for changing into a lion (OR 11390)

What: An Ethiopian manuscript dated 1750 including prayers, prescriptions and the Mäṣhafä Mädḥanit directory of medicinal plants, with more than 200 illustrations of “magical pictures, squares and lines of magical and talismans”. A small vellum leaf is bound in ff.6-7 containing a magical formula for changing into a lion or another beast

Where: The British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London NW1 2DB

Ref: OR 11390
Digital version – http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Or_11390

Provenance:
A note on f. 3r reads “belonging to the Church of the Saviour of the World’ at Magdala”
A note on the first page reads: “Bought of Mr De Vere Crossley, 28 Aug. 1933”

Posted In Historical, legal, medical & other | Manuscripts | The Plunder
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A 17th century manuscript including the Fetha Nagast (MS 595)

Published February 26, 2024 / by Andrew Heavens / Leave a Comment

What: An Ethiopian manuscript, dated 1696, of the Fetha Nagast legal code and part of the Christian treatise Didascalia Apostolorum. Described as having “beautiful and even script” throughout

Where: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 8, Potsdamer Straße 33, Westhafenstraße 1, Berlin

One of two manuscripts that Graf von Seckendorf bought after the Battle of Magdala and presented to King Wilhelm, according to A. Dimmmann’s 1878 book Verzeichnis der abessinischen Handschriften, Berlin, Königliche Akademie der Wissenschaften – G. Vogt (Die Handschriften-Verzeichnisse der königlichen Bibliothek zu Berlin, Band 3).

“… und sodann im Jahr 1869 die Prachthandschrift 19 und die werthvolle Nr. 42 von Sr. Majestät dem König Wilhelm, an welchen sie Graf von Seckendorf, Lieutenant im ersten Garderesiment zu Fufs, verehrt hatte: der letztere hatte sie in Abessinien nach dem Sturm auf Magdala angekauft”

As it says the purchase happened after the storming of Maqdala, it is likely referring to the auction of plunder that took place after the battle.

Details:

Listed as No. 42 in von Seckendorf’s catalogue. The entry in the catalogue describes the manuscript as Ms. or. fol. 595

Posted In Historical, legal, medical & other | Manuscripts
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