Stories for all time: The Icelandic Fornaldarsögur

Manuscripts:

AM 544 4to

AM 544 4to (1290-1360, Iceland)
Den Arnamagnæanske Samling, CopenhagenNickname: Hauksbók
1. (1r:1-14v:30) Geographica qvædam et physica, Theologica qvædam ex sermonibus Augustini, Varia, atqve inter ea Astronomica qvædamIcelandicAM 765 4to is Árni Magnússon's autograph copy of fols 1r-4r and 8r-9r.Note: Fols. 1r-14v contain a collection of dissertations and excerpts on geographical, chronological and theological subjects. Ends defective.1.1. (1r:1-1v:23) On Famous Rivers and Miraculous SpringsIcelandicBrunnr er einn i paradiso. er or falla fiorar ar hingat i þenna heim.En ef hia er þeim latet liggia kleði eða vll eða smo tre. þa verðr alt at steíní.1.2. (1v:24-2r:9) PrologusIcelandicprologusÞat er sagt at moyses tæki þat rað fystr.oc namo þar siðan aðrer eftír þeim at skrifa a bokum þau tiðendi er eigi skyldi or minni liða.1.3. (2r:9-2r:20) On ParadiseIcelandicfra paradiso.Sva er sagt at paradis er hinn æsti lutr þessarar veraldaroc veria biorg oc hitar at menn skili eigi þangat komast.1.4. (2r:20-4r:7) A Geographical CompendiumIcelandicher segir fra þui huersu lond liggia i veroldenni.Þessarar bygðar þa er indialand yst.þar er meinlangs borg a. j henni var ambrosius byskup.1.5. (4r:7-8r:12) Sermon on the CreatorIcelandicvm þar huaðan otru hofst.Líufír bræðr. Sua segia oll helgara hinum helga crosse.1.6. (8r:12-8v:7) How Noah's Sons Divided The World Amongst ThemselvesIcelandicFra þuí huar huerr noa sona bygði heiminn.Synir noa voro .iij. þeir skiftu ollum heímí með ser huar kyn huers þeira skilldi byggia.þa verða tungur alsz .ij. oc .lxx. en þioð lond. þushundrað.1.7. (8v:7-9r:31) On Various Fantastic PeoplesIcelandicher segir fra marghattaðum þioðum.Sva segia froðar bækr at i heímínum se sua marg hattaðar þioðer beði at vęxti oc at eðli.þeir ero sua við menn sem olmer hundar.1.8. (9r:31-10v:27) SermonSt. Augustine of HippoIcelandicHer segir Hin helgi byskup er heitir augustinus melti við þa menn er hann var kennímaðr yfír.beði þessa heíms oc sua annars þat se. A-M-E-N.1.9. (10v:28-12r:11) Elucidarius (Extracts)Icelandicher segir huaðan blot skur guða hofust.Ef aller gofgaðu einn guð fyst i upp hafe.þetta er at dœma lifendr oc dauða.Note: Four passages from the Elucidarius.1.10. (12r:11-13r:26) A Sermon On Ember DaysIcelandicvm ímbru daga hald.Moyses bauð gyðingum forðum i logum at hallda ímbru daga ferna a hueríum .ij. miserum.Sa er lifir oc rikir með feðr oc syni oc anda helgum vm allar allder j einum guðdome. A-1.11. (13r:26-13v:11) On RainbowsIcelandicvm regnboga.A regn boga ero þrir lítír.oc nokor miseri siðan at eigi skilldi oftar floð koma þat er heimen æyddi sua sem a hans dogum hafðe orðet.1.12. (13v:11-14r:4) On The Course Of The SunIcelandicvm solstoðrÞa er laupar hefer veret um varet aðr a þeim degi er .x. netr ero til ions messoSia er solar gangr at tolo stiorno oddae norðan a islande.1.13. (14r:5-14v:30) On Foreign Towns and the Burial Places of Saints (defective)Icelandicvm borga skipan oc legstaðe heilagra manna.Rvma borg er yfir ollum borgom. Ends: oc af bondom hins2. (15r:1-19v:35) Theologica qvædam, videntur esse úr Adamsbók2.1. (15r:1-15r:9) Sagan af Guðs þiónústumaðr (defective)Icelandic Begins: vin þinn þer. þui segi ekkonungr bað menn sina lata fara hann með naðum þuiat hann er guðs þiónóstu maðr.2.2. (15r:9-16r:3) A Conversation Between a Pupil and a MasterIcelandicfra heilræðum spekíngaNv spurði lærisveinn meistara sinn.þat vetti oss faðir ok sun ok hinn helgi andi amen2.3. (16r:4-17r:14) A Treatise on the Four Elements and Their Mixture in Man's BloodIcelandicAf natturu mannzins ok bloði.Allzvalltandi guð er af engu efni gerði alla luti.ok fellr þui vari slefa oruósum sem bornum2.4. (17r:14-18v:31) On Seth's Journey To Paradise and On the Cross of ChristIcelandichuaðan kominn er ✠ drottinsSva er sagt siðan adam hafði syndína gerua i paradíso.ok sannaðiz sua spasaga drotningar.2.5. (18v:31-18v:35) A List of Twelve Unseemly Things in the WorldIcelandicÞesser eru xíj heíms osomar þeir er tela allt veralldar liflyðr laga lauss.2.6. (19r-19r) A Plan of Jerusalem with Drawings of Churches and TemplesLatinCivitas Hiervsalem famosisima2.7. (19v:1-19v:21) Afsaknir Fyrir Samneyti Við BannsettaIcelandicUær vilium þat birta fyri folke af huerium til fellum þeir menn megu löglega af sakaz sem bansettum monnum samneyta sua at þeir falla i ecke bann eða forboð fyri þa skyld.ok fær hann eigi forðaz þeira samneyte.3. (20r:1-21r:18) VöluspáIcelandicHlioðs bið ek allar helgar kindir meiri ok minni mǫgu heimdallar villtv at ek vafǫðrs vel framm telia forn spiǫll fira þau er ek fremzr vm man.Kemr hinndimi dreki fliugandi naðr fraann neðan fra niða berr sier i fiǫðrum flygr uǫll yfir niðhoggr nai nv man hon sǫkkvaz.Note: The text is different from Völuspá in Codex Regius and in Snorri's Edda and represents an independent record based on oral tradition.4. (22r:1-33v:31) Trójumanna sagaIcelandicHer hefr troio manna sogvA dogvm Josve er hofðingi var a iorsala landi yfir gyþinga lyð eftir moyisesen her eftir hefir sogv fra enea ok þeim er bretland bygðv5. (34r:1-34r:36) Seven Precious Stones And Their NatureIcelandicEmatistvs hefir pvrpvralit sem vindropiok vtan vm linklæði þa er sagt at hann bœtir riðv ok allzkyns meínsemðer6. (35v:1-35v:32) CisiojanusIcelandicCicio ianus epi cibi uendicat oct fe ma maranSicca uiris afia curuis rex bustet cauet sic Brito creans stilbon ori ris aud saba uiris asNote: Ciciojanus is a versified Latin enumeration for remembering church festivals throughout the year.7. (36r:1-59r:20) Breta sögur (Including Merlínusspá)Icelandicher hefr breta sogvrNv er at segia af enea envm millda at hann rakz lengi i hafe þa er hann for af troio ok kom hann vm siþirvið sikiley.hann fostradi hakon svn haralz konungs harfagra8. (60r:1-68v:37) Two Dialogues between the Body and the Soul (defective)IcelandicViðræða likams ok salarBok þersa gerði meistari valltíʀ af samburð tveggia manna ok rœðir hvaʀ við annan af sinv efni hvaʀ Ends: en heímr eggiar hegoma þat er at heliaz a veralldar9. (69r:1-72v:9) Hemings þáttur Áslákssonar (defective)Icelandic Begins: seð hafa. loðin svarar sva sagða ekok andaðiz i þeiri einsetvAM 326b 4to is a copy of Hemings þáttr Áslákssonar written by Ásgeir Jónsson. It was most likely copied during the winter 1697-98, when Ásgeir was in Copenhagen. This copy is of particular importance because it was written when a leaf which has since disappeared was still to be found before the present fol. 69.10. (72v:9-76v:36) Hervarar saga og Heiðreks (defective)Icelandicher hefr vpp sogv heiðreks konvngs ens vitraSva er sagt at i fyrndinni var kallað iotvnheímar norðr i finnmork en ymis land fyri svnnan ok millim haloga landz Ends: en fvglar flvgv yfir havfði þerok tveimmegin þin þat var þeira vegr þvNote: The saga ends in the beginning of the riddle section known as Heiðreks gátur.11. (77r:1-89v:35) Fóstbræðra saga (defective)Icelandic Begins: kenningar nafn at þv skallt kolbrvnar skalld heitaNv luk. sva sem. sagt. var ęfi þormoðar kolbrvnar skalldsNote: Pictures of the text describing the battle of Stiklastaðir [fols. 78v-79r].12. (89v:35-93r:17) AlgorismusIcelandicher byriar algorismumList þessi heitir algorismvsfigvrv er her er sidaʀ. ger. ok kollvt er kvbvs perfectvs13. (93r:17-101v:24) Eiríks saga rauðaIcelandicHer hefr upp Sogu þeirra Þorfinnz Karlsefnis oc Snorra Þorbrandz sonar.Olafr het her konvngr er kalladr var oloafr hvitiveri gvð með ors ameɴFols. 60-83 of AM 1008 4to contains a copy of this saga. The hand is unidentified; corrections by Árni Magnússon.Note: Rubric added by Árni Magnússon. Pictures on fols. 97v-98r: The description of Wineland.14. (101v:25-104v:17) Skálda sagaIcelandicHer hefr sogv skallda Harallz konvngs harfagraHaralldr konvngr harfagri reð fyri noregiok segir her ecki lengra af hanvmAM 307 4to, AM 67 a fol. and AM 67 b fol. are copies of Skálda saga. AM 307 4to has lacunae where the original was indistinct. However, Árni Magnússon has filled in text corresponding to the bottom lines of fol. 101v. The hand is identical with the one who wrote AM 1008 4to. AM 67 a fol. was written by Ásgeir Jónsson, probably during the winter of 1697-98, when he stayed in Copenhagen. There are a few lacunae, particularly in the reproduction of fol. 102r. AM 67 b fol. is another, almost identical, copy by Ásgeir Jónsson. It has some mistakes which are not in AM 67 a fol., and it is probably a copy of the latter and not of Hauksbók itself. 15. (104v:18-105r:21) Af Upplendinga konungumIcelandicaf vpplendinga konvngvmOlafr svn ingiallz konvngs illraða af svia ʀiki rvddi vermalandok af hans nafni erv ynglingar kalladerAM 307 4to is a copy. The hand is identical with the one who wrote AM 1008 4to.16. (105r:21-107v:5) Ragnarssona þátturIcelandicHer seger af Ragnars svnvmok hversv margir konvngar erv komner af þeimEftir davða rings konvngs tok ragnaʀ svn hans konvngdóm yfir svia velldi ok danaþeira svn var haralldr konvngr enn harfagri er fystr varð einvallz konvngr yfer ollvm noregeAM 307 4to is a copy. The hand is identical with the one who wrote AM 1008 4to.17. (107v:6-107v:42) Prognostica TemporumLatinSi prima feria fuerit kalenda ianuaríjhominibus in notu

CodexParchmenti, 107, iNote: Front and rear flyleaves modern.243mm x 158mmLater foliation: Besides Kålund's foliation in red in the upper right-hand corners, there are two older foliations. The earlier one is from c. 1800 and shows traces of an earlier, random order of the gatherings; it includes fols. 1r-14v, but not fols. 102r-107v. The gathering was probably lent out, perhaps for the use of the editing of Scriptores Rerum Danicarum, II. Jón Sigurðsson did the second foliation, and it is similar to the order mentioned by Árni Magnússon in AM 435 a 4to, although it has been done without consideration for fols. 1r-14v, as these leaves were not incorporated into the Reykjavík collection of antiquities until 1887. Fols. 1r-14r are paginated 1-27.Poor: There are lacunae in three places in the manuscript: After fol. 14 two leaves have been excised, and all that remains are narrow strips in the gutter. After fol. 68 one gathering is missing, and after fol. 76 at least one gathering of eight leaves has been lost. Several leaves are damaged with tears or holes, and others have an irregular shape. Some of the damage does not allow the lines to be of full length, but this damage is apparently older than the script. The following leaves are torn: fols. 2, 9-10, 15-28, 30, 32-35, 37-38, 40-43, 45-47, 49, 51, 53-60, 67-68, 70, 74-80, 82, 86, 88-89, 95, 97-100. On fol. 82 a corner has been torn off, and fols. 19, 21 and 59 are half-leaves, although a thin slip of the lower part is preserved at the spine. The lower part of these leaves was probably left blank, as the trimming has not caused any loss of text. The bottom margin of fol. 63 is trimmed. Several leaves are in poor condition due to dampness and wear. They have become dark, faded or wrinkled. The script was touched up in the seventeenth century with black ink where the writing had faded. The restoration of the script on the following folios was done by Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson: fols. 1v, 3r, 4r, 5r, 6v, 8v, 9r, 10r, 14r-v, 22r, 30v, 36r-52v, 72v, 77r, 78r, 103r, 104r. According to Árni Magnússon's account in AM 435 a 4to, fol. 113, the lögmaður Sigurður Björnsson told him that the rest of the touching up was done by himself and another lögmaður, Sigurður Jónsson. Sigurður Björnsson did the touching up on the following folios: 46v-47r, 48r, 49r-v, 50r and 52r-v. Sigurður Jónsson did the rest of the touching up in the section 36r-59r containing Bretasögur.190mm x 120mmNote: Fols. 21v, 34v-35r and 59v were originally blank.UnknownCarolingianMajor

Info: Hand 1 occurs on fols. 1r-14v; the script is Carolingian insular minuscule. The scribe was possibly Norwegian.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 2 is found on fols. 15r-18v:31. The script is early Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 3 has only written 4 lines and occurs on fol. 18v:31-35. The script of this hand is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 4 occurs on fol. 19r, and the script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 5 occurs on fol. 19v, and the script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 6 is considered to be Icelandic and occurs on fols. 20r-21r. The script of this hand is Icelandic Gothic bookhand.

Haukur ErlendssonTextualisMajor

Info: Hand 7 occurs on fols. 22r-34r, 36r-59r, 60r-80r:26, 99r:14-100r:2 and 101v-107v:5. The script is Gothic bookhand. The hand appears to be the same hand as in AM 371 4to and may be identified as Haukr Erlendsson's.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 8 occurs on fol. 35v, and the script is early Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMajor

Info: Hand 9 uses Icelandic othography, and the writer has therefore been described as The First Icelandic Secretary. This hand is to be found on fols. 80r:26-81r:7, 81r:9-85v and 87r:14-99r:14. The script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 10 occurs on fol. 81r:7-9. The script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 11 occurs on fol. 86r:1-7. The script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 12 occurs on fols. 86r:7-87r:13. The script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: This writer has been described as The Second Icelandic Secretary, and the hand occurs on fols. 100r:3-101r. The script is Gothic bookhand.

UnknownTextualisMinor

Info: Hand 14 occurs on fol. 107v:6-42. The script is Gothic bookhand.

Moderate

Initial: Multi-line initials variously in red, blue and green inks throughout. Initial letters of several sentences have also been colored in red.
Miniature (map): On fol. 19r there is a drawing of Jerusalem including the most important buildings.

High

There are several marginalia in this manuscript, including emendations and cross-references in multiple hands. Some marginal notes consist of single letters, while others are figurative. Fol. 8v, for example, has a drawing of a man's head wearing a hat.
More extensive notes occur throughout, e.g.: fol. 5v: "Her er skrif andres isslendin". fol. 19r: "þeim go". fol. 21r: "amen med aund ok munn halla reiknar hofud summu allir huad batar þad mælgi ok mal". fol. 21v: some runic letters, the beginning of Ave Maria"aue maria gracia plena dominus" and the statement: "þessa bok a Teitr Palsson skal urentr vera".
Among the scribblings on the originally blank fols 34v-35r are statements about Christ, an alphabet in runes, a religious Latin verse and a drawing of a face.
Fols. 6r, 7, 8r, 13v, 28v, 42v, 70r, 74v, 75r and 99r have corrections and references written in a contemporary hand.
Árni Magnússon, his archivist, Jón Sigurðsson, and others have in several places added chapter headings.

Plain (later)

In 1730, Jón Ólafsson described the manuscript as "skinnalaus", or without any outer covering, and "med hampreimum", which refers to the thongs of hemp across the spine to which the gatherings were fastened. The manuscript was not bound at this time. About a century later, in 1828, Möbius (Edda Sæmundar hinns fróða) wrote that there was a wooden board belonging to the binding of the book on which there was a runic sign: "In tabula lignea, ad ligaturam voluminis pertinene, incisus est character insignis, e Runis variis compositus, et priscum aliqvem libri possessorem indigitans". But when Kristian Kålund (Katalog, I, 687) described AM 544 4to in 1889, this wooden board had disappeared.

AM 544 4to was bound in 1909 and again in 1967. The latter is also the manusript's present binding, a modern standard half-binding. The dimensions are: Dimensions: 248mm x 183mm x 72mm.

1290-1360Iceland

Haukur Erlendsson: OwnerBjarni Einarsson: OwnerAri Magnússon: OwnerArngrímur Jónsson Vídalín: OwnerBjörn Jónsson: OwnerÞorlákur Skúlason: OtherOle Worm: OtherBrynjólfur Sveinsson: OwnerÁrni Magnússon: OwnerHauksbók has been divided into 3 parts in the AM collection: AM 371 4to, AM 544 4to and AM 675 4to. In addition to several unknown scribes, the manuscript was written by Haukr Erlendsson. Letters from 28 January 1302 and 14 October 1310, written by Haukr, serve as evidence for this, as the script in the letters is similar to the main hand in Hauksbók. After Haukr Erlendsson's death in Norway in 1334, it is presumed that the codex passed to his successors in Iceland and was then passed on as an heirloom for about the next 300 years. The next known owner, Bjarni Einarsson, can be discerned from a note on fol. 59v: " Biarni Einarsson a Hamr a þessa bök med rettu og hefur hann lied mier hana i bokaskiptum og skal hann fä hana aptur þad firsta eg kann heim med skilum". Bjarni Einarsson, who was a prosperous and notable man, knew the county sheriff (sýslumaður) Ari Magnússon of Ögur (1571-1652). In 1635, after Bjarni Einarsson had died, Ari Magnússon lent Hauksbók to Skagafjörður, and the manuscript passed on to two men with antiquarian interests, the priest Arngrímur Jónsson (1568-1648), and then on to the farmer Björn Jónsson of Skarðsá (1574-1655). A third person, the Bishop of Hólar, Þorlákur Skuláson (1597-1656), mentioned in his letter to Ole Worm (1588-1654) in Copenhagen in 1636 that Björn Jónsson had obtained the manuscript. From 1660 to 1670 Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson owned the manuscript and touched up the script. In AM 435 a 4to, fols. 111v-114v, Árni Magnússon wrote: "Ur landnama bok (α) og Kristindoms Sỏgu, fragmenta nokkur, Geographica qvædam et physica. Theologica qvædam ex Sermonibus Augustini. Varia, atqve inter ea Astronomica qvædam. Theologica qvædam, videntur esse ur Adams bok. Delineatio urbis Hierosolymorum. Vỏluspa. Trojomanna Saga. De gemmis nonnulla. Bretasỏgur. vïda ölæsar (β). Vidræda likams og salar. [112v] aptan af Hemings Sỏgu, þar ï um lika Lodin. Saga Heidreks konungs ens vitra, vantar vid endann. aptan af Sỏgu Þorgeirs Havarssonar, og Þormodar Kolbrunar skallds. Algorismus (er de Arithmetica. Saga Þorfinns Karlsefnes oc Snorra Þorbrands sonar. Saga Skallda Harallz konungs Harfagra af nidium Ragnars Lodbrokar fragment. Lucidarium. Bokin er i 4to [113v:13-17] β] I þessum Bretasỏgum er vida dreged i stafena med nyu bleke, seiger Sigurdur Biỏrnsson lỏgmadur þad giỏrt hafa Sigurd Jonsson lỏgmann, sem i bokena brukad hafe. [114r] Merlinus Spä in membranâ, i bok þad er bokenn sem eg nu ä 4to sende Mag. Bryniolfur Sigurde Jons syne lỏgmanne, og bad hann /: so sem vel lesande mann /: ad draga i þä öskiru stafena. Þad giỏrde lỏgmadur, ad samverkande Sigurde Biỏrnssyne lỏgmanne, sem þä ätte heima i Einarsnese, post 1664. enn adur enn hann vard landskrifare. Ret. Sigurdar Biỏrns sonar lỏgmanns 1707."

Last update: 2016-08-17

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