A sealskin-bound manuscript believed to date back to around AD 1200 could be Norway’s oldest book, according to researchers at the National Library of Norway. The small Christian hymnbook, preserved for centuries by a Norwegian farming family, is now under detailed scientific analysis to determine its exact origin and age.
The book, known as the Hagenes codex, is made of two double parchment leaves and retains visible traces of fur on its sealskin cover. Experts believe the text, written in Latin, once belonged to a local church or monastery.
It contains eight liturgical chants, complete with medieval musical notation. Among the songs is one honoring the Virgin Mary and another dedicated to All Saints’ Day, a feast recognizing saints without individual commemoration.
Evidence points to local Norwegian craftsmanship
While several pages appear to be missing, the manuscript’s rustic script and homemade binding provide clues to its background.
Chiara Palandri, a conservator at the National Library, explained that the uneven handwriting and basic materials point to a Norwegian craftsman using what was locally available. She added that a strap once used to fasten the book may have been made from reindeer leather.
A recently analyzed medieval codex covered in furry sealskin may be the oldest surviving book from Norway. The small Christian songbook was likely made around 1200 AD, and passed down through several generations of a Norwegian farming family.
Known as the Hagenes codex after the… pic.twitter.com/t0J2BJXUq3
— Dr. M.F. Khan (@Dr_TheHistories) November 8, 2025
Palandri told Science Norway that although sealskin bindings have been documented in other parts of Scandinavia, none are known to have originated in medieval Norway. If the Hagenes codex was indeed produced locally, it would be the only known Norwegian book from that era bound in sealskin.
Trade routes and sealskin use across medieval Europe
Åslaug Ommundsen, a medieval Latin professor at the University of Bergen, noted that the book likely served as a practical tool for religious services, perhaps carried by a priest or cantor.
Comparative studies show that sealskin bindings were occasionally used in medieval Europe. A recent DNA analysis of manuscripts from the 12th and 13th centuries revealed that Cistercian monks in France used skins from harbor, harp and bearded seals for similar bindings.
These skins came from regions as far as Scandinavia, Scotland, Denmark, and possibly Greenland or Iceland, reaching Western Europe through trade routes and possibly as religious tithes after the Viking Age.
Ongoing analysis may confirm it as Norway’s oldest book
Despite the similarities, Palandri said the Hagenes manuscript shows distinctive features that set it apart from the continental examples.
Ongoing tests will help identify the origin of both the parchment and the leather. These results are expected to confirm whether the manuscript is indeed Norway’s oldest book.
Palandri emphasized that while the codex may look simple, it preserves rare evidence of early bookmaking methods that have disappeared elsewhere.
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