Litany with Collects
Texts and Images
The Litany, a series of invocations for mercy and deliverance addressed to the Three Persons of the Trinity, the Virgin Mary and a long list of saints, was intended for use in Peterborough. It includes St Kyneburga, St Kyneswitha and St Tibba, Anglo-Saxon royal women who helped establish an abbey there. St Kyneburga also founded an abbey for monks and nuns at Dormancaster (Castor) in Northamptonshire, and served as its first abbess. The relics of all three women were enshrined in Peterborough. The Litany opens with a large blue penwork initial filled and flourished in red, and continues with small penwork initials in alternate red and blue. The Collects at the end of the Litany have large blue and red initials filled with scrolling patterns in the contrasting colour.
Blue initial K filled and flourished in red (Litany)
This initial introduces the Litany, which begins with a call for mercy addressed to God the Father, addressed as Lord (Kyrie eleyson), and God the Son (Christe eleyson). These phrases are followed by an additional plea to Christ (Christe audi nos, 'Christ, hear us').