The ''Códice de Roda'' or ''Códice de Meyá'' (Roda or Meyá codex) is a medieval manuscript that represents a unique source for details of the 9th and early 10th century

Kingdom of Navarre The Kingdom of Navarre (; , , , ), originally the Kingdom of Pamplona (), was a Basque kingdom that occupied lands on both sides of the western Pyrenees, alongside the Atlantic Ocean between present-day Spain and France. The medieval state took ...

and neighbouring principalities. It is currently held in Madrid as

Real Academia de la Historia The Real Academia de la Historia (RAH, 'Royal Academy of History') is a Spanish institution in Madrid that studies history "ancient and modern, political, civil, ecclesiastical, military, scientific, of letters and arts, that is to say, the diff ...

MS 78.García Villada (1928) The

codex The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...

is thought to date from the late 10th century, although there are additions from the 11th century, and it was compiled in Navarre, perhaps at Nájera, written in a Visigothic

minuscule Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (or more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (or more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing ...

in several different hands with

cursive Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionalit ...

marginal notes. It is , and contains 232 folios. The manuscript appears to have been housed at Nájera in the 12th century, and later in the archives of the cathedral at Roda de Isábena at the end of the 17th century. In the next century, it was acquired by the

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

of Santa María de Meyá, passing into private hands, after which only copies and derivative manuscripts were available to the scholarly community until the rediscovery of the original manuscript in 1928.Lacarra (1945) The codex includes copies of well-known ancient and medieval texts, as well as unique material. The first two-thirds of the compilation reproduces a single work, Paulus Orosius' ''Seven Books of History Against the Pagans''. Also notable are

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville ( la, Isidorus Hispalensis; c. 560 – 4 April 636) was a Spanish scholar, theologian, and archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of 19th-century historian Montalembert, as "the last scholar of ...

's '' History of the Goths, Vandals and Suebi'', the '' Chronica prophetica'', the ''

Historia de Melchisedech The ''Story of Melchizedek'' or ''History of Melchizedek'' ( la, Historia de Melchisedech) is an anonymous apocryphal account of the life of Melchizedek originally written in Greek. Melchizedek is a priest and king mentioned twice in the Hebre ...

'' the ''

Storia de Mahometh The ''Storia de Mahometh'' (or ''Istoria de Mahomet'') is a short anonymous polemical Latin biography of Muḥammad written from a Medieval Christian views on Muhammad, Christian perspective, probably in al-Andalus between about 750 and 850. It ...

'', the ''

Tultusceptru de libro domni Metobii ''Tultusceptru de libro domni Metobii'' is a short Latin biography of Muḥammad written in the 9th or 10th century in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a polemical text designed to show that Islam is a false religion and Muḥammad the unwitting dup ...

'' and a genealogy of Jesus. Unique items include a lists of Arab rulers and of the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

kings of Asturias– León,

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

and France, a chronicle of the

, the ''

Chronicle of Alfonso III The ''Chronicle of Alfonso III'' ( la, Chronica Adefonsi tertii regis) is a chronicle composed in the early tenth century on the order of King Alfonso III of León with the goal of showing the continuity between Visigothic Spain and the later Chris ...

'', a necrology of the

bishops of Pamplona The Archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela ( la, Pampilonen(sis) et Tudelen(sis)) is an archdiocese located in the cities of Pamplona and Tudela in Spain.

and the ''

De laude Pampilone epistola ''De laude Pampilone epistola'' ("Letter in Praise of Pamplona") is a composite text preserved in the Roda Codex from 10th-century Navarre. It comprises two unrelated texts, which the anonymous scribe of the manuscript either considered to be one ...

''. It also includes a

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...

in honour of an otherwise unknown Leodegundia Ordóñez, Queen of Navarre. Despite this diversity of material, the manuscript is perhaps best known for its genealogies of the dynasties ruling on both sides of the Pyrenees.Lacarra (1992) The genealogies in the Roda Codex have played a critical role in interpreting the scant surviving historical record of the dynasties covered. The family accounts span as many as five generations, ending in the first half of the 10th century. These include the Íñiguez and Jiménez rulers of Pamplona, the counties of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...

, Sobrarbe, Ribagorza,

Pallars Pallars is a historical and natural region of Catalonia. Located in the Pre-Pyrenees and Pyrenees area, most of its territory is mountainous. The Noguera Pallaresa river is named after this region. Geography The physiography of the Pallars natu ...

, Toulouse and the duchy of

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

. It has recently been suggested that these genealogies, reminiscent of the work of Ibn Hazm, were prepared in an Iberian Muslim context in the Ebro valley and passed to Navarre at the time the codex was compiled.

Detailed contents

The codex consists of the following texts, listed by their rubrics: * fols 1r–155r: Paulus Orosius' ''Seven Books of History Against the Pagans''Carlos Villamarín (2011), pp. 121–122 *fols 156r–177r:

's '' History of the Goths, Vandals and Suebi'' interspersed with his ''Chronica Maiora'', with the history of the Vandals and Suebi (156r–159r) preceding the ''Chronica'' (159r–167r) and that of the Goths (167r–177r)Millares Carlo (1999), no. 210, at pp. 139–142 *fol. 177r–v: ''Item in Alexander'', an excerpt from the '' Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius''Tischler 2021, pp. 288ff. *fols 178r–185v: ''

'', specifically, the version known as the ''Rotense'' *fol. 185v: ''

'' *fols 186r–189v: '' Chronica prophetica'', a group of

Mozarab The Mozarabs ( es, mozárabes ; pt, moçárabes ; ca, mossàrabs ; from ar, مستعرب, musta‘rab, lit=Arabized) is a modern historical term for the Iberian Christians, including Christianized Iberian Jews, who lived under Muslim rule in A ...

ic traditions on Muslim rule in Spain and its eventual decline: :*fol. 186r: ''Dicta de Ezecielis profeta'' :*fol. 187r: ''Genealogia Sarracenorum'' :*fols 187r–188r: ''

'' :*fol. 188v: ''Ratio Sarracenorum de sua ingressione in Spania'' :*fols 188v–189r: ''De Goti qui remanserint civitates Ispaniensis'' :*fol. 189r: ''Hii sunt duces Arabum qui regnaverunt in Spania'' :*fol. 189r: ''Item reges qui regnaberunt in Spania ex origine Ismaelitarum Beniumeie'' :*fol. 189r–v: ''Remanent usque ad diem sancti Martini''Furtado (2016), p. 76–77 *fol. 189v: '' Nomina regum catholicorum Legionensium'', a list of the kings of León *fol. 190r–v: ''

''Lacarra (1945), pp. 202–203 *fols 191r–194r: a group of Pyrenean genealogies: :*fol. 191r–v: ''Ordo numerum regum Pampilonensium'', the kings of Pamplona :*fols 191v–192r: ''Item alia parte regum'' :*fol. 192r–v: ''Item genera comitum Aragonensium'', the counts of Aragon :*fol. 192v: ''Item nomina comitum Paliarensium'', the

counts of Pallars Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

:*fol. 192v: ''Item nomina comitum Guasconiensium'', the counts of Gascony :*fol. 192v: ''Item nomina comitum Tolosanesium'', the counts of Toulouse *fol. 193r–v: ''Nomina imperatorum qui christianis persequuti sunt'', an account of the

persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire The persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire occurred, sporadically and usually locally, throughout the Roman Empire, beginning in the 1st century CE and ending in the 4th century CE. Originally a polytheistic empire in the traditions of Ro ...

, including a list of persecuting Roman emperorsRuiz García (1997), pp. 398–399 *fol. 193v: ''Nomina sanctorum qui in arcibo Toletano repperta sunt'', an account of saints venerated in the diptychs of the church of Toledo *fol. 193v: ''Nomina Sebigotorum'', a list of kings of the Visigoths *fol. 194r: ''De origine Romanorum'' *fol. 194r–v: ''De reges Francorum'', a genealogy of the

kings of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...

*fol. 195r: ''Agnoscamus generationes quod processerunt a Noe'', a genealogy of JesusFurtado (2020), p. 66 *fol. 195r–v: ''De fabrica mundi'', a Pseudo-Isidorean poem *fols 195v–196r: Isidore's ''De laude Spaniae'', a poem in praise of Spain *fol. 196r–v: a series of texts drawn from the '' Chronica Albeldense'' under the rubrics ''Exquisitio Spaniaee'', ''De septem miracula'' and ''De proprietatibus gentium'' *fol. 196v: ''De LXXII generationes linguarum'' plus a short statement that begins ''Item de uitulorum carnibus'' *fols 197r–198r: drawings of

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

Nineveh Nineveh (; akk, ; Biblical Hebrew: '; ar, نَيْنَوَىٰ '; syr, ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ, Nīnwē) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern ban ...

and

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Orur ...

with the short text ''Historia de Octaviano et Septemsidero'' *fol. 198r: ''De laude Hispaniae'', a poem in praise of Spain *fols 198v–207r: ''Genealogia Christi'', with the text ''De orbe terre'' and a T and O map inserted at fols 200v–201r *fols 207v–208r: ''De sexta etate seculi'' *fols 208r–209r: ''Ordo annorum mundi'' *fol. 209r–v: ''De natiuitate et passione et resurrectione Domini'' *fols 209v–210r: ''De fine mundi'' *fol. 210v: ''De natura diaboli'', an excerpt from Augustine's '' City of God'' *fol. 210v: two short texts entitled ''Interrogatio'' and ''De Christo'' *fol. 211r: ''De ordinibus angelorum'' *fol. 211r: ''Numerus legionum'' with a table *fol. 211v: ''Item sanctus Augustinus'', an excerpt from Augustine's ''De Genesi ad litteram'' *fol. 211v: excerpts from Jerome and Isidore *fol. 212r: ''De sepulcro Domini'', an excerpt from Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel's ''Collectiones'' *fol. 212v: ''Unde factus est corpus de Adam'' *fol. 212v: ''Liber generationum'' *fol. 213v: ''De sex peccatis'' *fols 214r–215r: ''Item de cognitio ciuitas Ierusalem'', an abridged version of the '' De situ terrae sanctae'' *fols 215r–216r: ''

Item Dicta de Melcisethec Item may refer to: Organizations * ''Instituto del Tercer Mundo'' (ITeM), the Third World Institute * ITEM club, an economic forecasting group based in the United Kingdom Newspapers * ''The Item'', an American independent, morning newspaper ...

''Gil (1971), pp. 173–176. *fols 216v–217r: ''De natibitate Sancte Marie'', a text on the nativity of Mary drawn from the '' Gospel of James'', is crossed out with a marginal note identifying it as apocryphal (''apogrifum'') *fols 217r–222r: two creedal formulae, ''Iterum de beata Maria'' (217r) and ''Item de sancta Trinitate'' (217v–222r) *fols 222r–225r: ''Conlatio Trinitatis sancti Agustini ad semetipsum'' *fols 225r–230v: ''Iterum dehinc domini Isidori dicit ad Trinitatem brebiter collecta'', a treatise on the Trinity ascribed to Isidore *fol. 231r: ''De Pampilona'' *fol. 231r: ''Initium regnum Pampilonam'' *fol. 231v: ''Necrologium episcopale Pampilonense'' *fol. 232r–v: ''Versi domna Leodegundia regina'', the earliest surviving European epithalamium with music

References

;Citations ;Bibliography *Helena de Carlos Villamarín, "El Códice de Roda (Madrid, BRAH 78) como compilación de voluntad historiografica", ''Edad Media. Rev. Hist.'', 12:119–142 (2011). *Rodrigo Furtado
"The ''Chronica Prophetica'' in MS. Madrid, RAH Aem. 78,"
in L. Cristante and V. Veronesi, eds., ''Forme di accesso al sapere in età tardoantica e altomedievale'', 6:75–100 (2016). *Rodrigo Furtado, "Emulating Neighbours in Medieval Iberia around 1000: A Codex from La Rioja (Madrid, RAH, cód. 78)," in Kim Bergqvist, Kurt Villads Jensen and Anthony John Lappin, eds., ''Conflict and Collaboration in Medieval Iberia'' (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020). pp. 43–72. *Zacarías García Villada, "El códice de Roda recuperado," ''Revista de Filología Española'' 15:113–130 (1928). *Juan Gil Fernández, "Textos olvidados del Códice de Roda," ''Habis'' 2:165–178 (1971). *José María Lacarra. "Textos navarros del Códice de Roda," ''Estudios de Edad Media de la Corona de Aragón'', 1:194–283 (1945). article without accompanying genealogical charts
*José María Lacarra
"Las Genealogías del Códice de Roda,"
''Medievalia'', 10:213–216 (1992). *Agustín Millares Carlo
''Corpus de códices visigóticos'', Vol. 1: Estudios
(Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1999). *Elisa Ruiz García, ''Catálogo de la sección de códices de la Real Academia de la Historia'' (Madrid, 1997). *Matthias M. Tischler, "Spaces of ‘Convivencia’ and Spaces of Polemics Transcultural Historiography and Religious Identity in the Intellectual Landscape of the Iberian Peninsula, Ninth to Tenth Centuries", in Walter Pohl and Daniel Mahoney, eds., ''Historiography and Identity IV: Writing History Across Medieval Eurasia'' (Brepols, 2021), pp. 275–305. *{{emc1, John Wreglesworth, Crónica profetica, 400

External links

Digital images of the ''Códice de Roda''
Iberian chronicles 10th-century manuscripts 10th-century Latin books Medieval genealogies and succession lists 10th-century Latin writers