Initial D: The Anointing of David

Within the initial D opening Psalm 26, Samuel annoints King David, traditionally believed to be the author of the psalms. The heartfelt poetic text on the right reads: Dominus illuminat[i]o mea et salus mea. Quem timebo (The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom will I fear?). On the left, the illuminator playfully extended the lines of the historiated initial into the margin, painting a series of swirling vine leaves. On the vine extension across the bottom of the page, a woman with a drum gracefully sways, her right hand held to her ear. The gesture of listening and the reference to music may refer to the singing of the psalms in devotional practice.