The Oldest Middle Dutch Translation of the Psalms (c. 1275–1400). Context of Origin, Functions, and Nachleben

This article presents a new perspective on the oldest Middle Dutch translation of the Psalter. The region of origin of this influential translation has remained uncertain for a long time, but current assumptions suggest that it likely originated in the western part of the medieval county of Flanders, probably in the last decades of the thirteenth century. A recent and noteworthy discovery, discussed here for the first time, comprises a bifolio from a Latin psalter dating from the late thirteenth century, featuring an interlinear version of the oldest Psalter translation added in the late fourteenth century. This introduces a new use for the West Flemish Psalter translation, in addition to those already known and briefly discussed in this article. Furthermore, this finding sheds light on the likely end of the textual tradition associated with this specific Psalter translation. By the first decades of the fifteenth century, newer or hybrid versions emerged, suggesting a decline in the influence of the West Flemish Psalter translation during that period.