Rubriksamling

Rubriksamling is a reference work or compilation used in library science, manuscript studies, and philology that gathers rubrics—short instructions, headings, or directives embedded in medieval and early modern manuscripts and early printed books. The term is commonly used in Swedish scholarship to describe a systematic collection of these guiding texts, which controlled liturgical procedures, scribing practices, and the organization of the manuscript or edition.

A rubriksamling typically includes an index or catalog of rubrics, notes on provenance and dating, language and script information, and editorial conventions such as abbreviations and sigla. It may be organized by manuscript tradition, geographic region, or topical category (for example calendar, mass, feasts, or psalter). Editorial apparatus often provides textual variants, cross-references between rubrics, and comments on how different scribes or communities used the rules. Many rubriksamlingar also incorporate bibliographic metadata and digital access links to enable direct comparison of sources.

Purpose and use range from scholarly research and manuscript cataloging to the preparation of critical editions and scholarly editions of liturgical or textual corpora. By standardizing terminology and providing a centralized reference, rubriksamlingar help researchers identify scribal practices, dating cues, and liturgical customs across cultures and periods. Related concepts include rubrication, palaeography, and textual criticism, as well as national or institutional manuscript catalogues and digitization projects.