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SignatureandVoiceintheQueen’sMS
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transcriptionofherownsignaturereceivesstrengthfrom,whilereinforcing,
theQueen’shistoricallyunusualpositionasthesignatoryofalargenumber
ofletters.
WenotethatChristinehasapreferenceforwritinghernameasaformof
thedivineorsacredabbreviation.Ixpi’isavariantofthemostpopularchris-
togram,theChiRho,whichisformedbysuperimposingChi(Χ)andRho
(Ρ),thefrsttwolettersofthenameIChrist’inGreek.Interestingly,(pagan)
GreekscribesplacedtheChiRhosymbolinthemarginstosignalaparticu-
larlyvaluableorrelevantpassage,thecombinedlettersChiandRhostanding
forchrēston,meaningIgood’.InthefourthcenturytheChiRhobecamepart
ofoffcialimperialinsigniawhenConstantineadopteditasasymbolofthe
moralandmilitarysuperiorityofhischristianizedRomanEmpire.TheChi
RhoisrelatedtothemostcommonchristogramofLatin-speakingChristian-
ity,IIHS’,whichdenotesIota(I),Eta(H),andSigma(S),thefrstthreeletters
oftheGreeknameofJesus.
OfspecialsignifcanceforChristine’suseofIxpi’istheLudwigTraube’s
studyonthenominasacra.IntheirIntroductiontoManuscriptStudiesRaymond
ClemensandTimothyGrahamcitehisfndings:
Aspecialclassofcontractionsisformedbythenominasacra,thatis,namesofthedeity
andrelatedbiblicalandreligiousnamesandterms.AsLudwigTraubeshowed,these
Iholynames’wereabbreviatednotoutofscribalconveniencebutoutofreverence,
fromthebeliefthatthenameofGodwasultimatelyinexpressible;thusitisthatin
certainmanuscripts,thenominasacramaybetheonly,oralmosttheonly,wordstobe
abbreviated12.
DespiteTraube’sclaimthattheseIholynames’wereabbreviatednotout
ofscribalconveniencebutoutofreverence,itwouldnonethelessbeeasyto
discountChristine’suseofthenominasacraasasimplematterofconvenience,
exceptforwhatshesaysaboutherownroleassecretary.Inthegloss(p.6)
sheaddstoherlastanddefnitivecopyoftheAdvisionCristine,sheclaimsto
betheantigraph,orsecretary,of"saintesapiencedivine"13.Shealsocomments
ontheformtakenbyhersignatureinherLivredelaMutaciondeFortuneof
1402-1403.Inv.376-377sheclaimshername,Cristine,tobe"Lenomduplus
parfaithomme,/Queoncquesfu,lemiennomme,I.N.E.fautavecmettre",
therebyemphasizingtheletterssheusestowritehername.Thenextverse
"Plusn’yaffertautrelettre"(v.378),callsevenmoreattentiontothelettersof
12RaymondClemensandTimothyGraham,IntroductiontoManuscriptStudies,Ithaca,Cor-
nellUniversityPress,2007,p.89.ThebooktheyarereferringtoisLudwigTraube,Nominasacra:
VersucheinerGeschichtederchristlichenKürzung,München,C.H.Beck,1907.
13AllreferencestotheAdvisionaretoLeLivredel’advisionCristine,éd.ChristineRenoet
LilianeDulac,Paris,HonoréChampion,2001(Etudeschristiniennes).
