| Codex Gigas |
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The Codex Gigas is one of the largest Manuscripts in the world, said to require two men to lift (hence ''Gigas'', Greek for 'giant'). It was apparently created in the early 13th Century in the Benedictine Monastery Of Podlažice in Bohemia . Also is called '''Devil's Bible''' after the impressive picture of that potentate. Aim of author was to create book that includes all knowledge of the world. LOOK OF CODEX Codex is featherd in wooden folder furred with bright leather, ornamented with metal. Dimensions of folder are 920 × 505 × 22 mm. Initially contained 320 Vellum sheets (as to 640 pages)of size 890 x 490 mm. Eight pages were removed, we do not know why, when and by who. Removed pages probably contained monastic rules of Benedictines. Weight of codex is near 75 kg, the vellum used having been prepared from the skins of 160 Asses . HISTORY OF CODEX Codex was apparently created in the today nonexistent Benedictine monastery of Podlažice near Chrudim . Records in the codex end in year 1229 . Early later codex was pledge to the Cistercians Monastery In Sedlec . Later was bought by the Benedictine Monastery In Břevnov . In the years 1477 - 1593 it was kept in library in monastery in Broumov . From 1549 it resided in Prague as a part of collections of Rudolf II . On the end of Thirty Years' War in the year 1648 was all collection took by Swedish army as plunder. Since 1649 manuscript is kept in Swedish Royal Library in Stockholm . Near place of its creation is remarked by maquette in town museum of Chrást . CONTENT OF THE CODEX The Codex includes the entire Bible , Isidore Of Seville 's ''Etymologiae'', Josephus ' ''Antiquities of the Jews'', Cosmas Of Prague 's ''Chronicle of Bohemia '', various Tractate s (from History , Etymology , Physiology ), calendar with necrologium, list of brothers in Podlažice monastery, magic formulas and other local records; all in Latin . Manuscript includes Illuminations in red, blue, yellow, green and gold; word caps are storiated, frequently across the entire page. Very interesting are spiral ornamentations with flower browse. The codex's look is unified, the nature of writing is unchanged in almost the whole content, without signs of aging, diseases or moods of sciber, as if the whole book was written in a very short time (see Legend of creation). Page 290, otherwise empty, includes an absolutely unique picture of devil, about size of 50 cm. Several pages before this are written on a blackening vellum and have very gloomy character, different from the rest of the codex. LEGEND OF CREATION According to Legend the scribe was a monk who breach of monastic discipline and to forbore of hard penalty he promised to create in one single night in his cell book, including all knowledge of the world. Near midnight he was sure, that he cannot complete thist task, so he had summoned devil and sold his soul to him. Devil completed the manuscript, biblical parts with great renunciation. Monk added devil´s picture only from gratitude. Despite this legend the codex was not forbidden by Inquisition and was studied by many scholars. REFERENCES
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