Stories for all time: The Icelandic Fornaldarsögur

Manuscripts:

UBB Ms. 1491

UBB Ms. 1491 (1680-1755, Iceland)
Universitetsbiblioteket, Bergen
1. (1r:1-30r:3) Þórðar saga hreðuIcelandicSaga af Þorde HreduÞordur hiet madur son hørda KaraÞordur hreda vard sottdaudurhofumm vier ei heizt fleira af honumm med sannleika sagt, og lykur hier nu sógu Þordar hredu2. (30r:4-50v:25) Fertrams saga og PlatósIcelandicSaga af Fertram og PlautoArtus hiet kongur mióg megtugur og audugurenn Fertram stirde Fracklandi allt til elle3. (51r:1-57r:21) Jökuls þáttur búasonarIcelandicSaga af Jøkle Bua SyneBue atte vid Fridu dottur Dofraog atte mørg bórn þau töku riked effter hannog likur so þessare sógu, hafe sa þøck sem skrifade og lika sa sm las og allir þeir sem hlitt hafa. Fynes4. (57vr:-75v:21) Jarlmanns saga og HermannsIcelandicHier Byriast Saga af Jallmanne og Þorbjørgu dygruVilhyalmur hefur kongur heitid hann riede firir Fracklandeog stirdu þeim til dauda5. (76r:1-88v:19) Hálfdanar saga EysteinssonarIcelandicHier Byriar Søgu af Haldane Eisteins SyneÞrandur hiet kongur vid hann er kiendur Þrand heimur y Nor veigeog er mart störmenne frä þeim kömt, i Norey og ørkneium6. (89r:1-135v:14) Sigurðar saga þöglaIcelandicHier Biriar Saga Af Sigurde ÞeguläA døgum Artus kongs hins fræga er riede firir Brettlandeog dräp nidur blä mennog berserke7. (136r:1-220r:25) Grettis sagaIcelandicHier Biriast Saga af Gretter Asmundar SyneAsmundur hærulängur var sonur Þor-grymz hæruslangzOg þad med hversu mikell giptu madur Þorstirn Drömundur hafe verid a sinum efsta døgumAnno 1755 Dag 21 Septembris.Note: Unidentified text (a second colophon to Grettis saga?) on fol. 220v. The text is partially obscured by a pastedown, but the final line reads: "þier a lade i song og sess, son guds rade dvinar[?] ve ... Fines Tantum"

CodexPaper436215mm x 155mmMultiple watermarks visible throughout: gate, letters, coat of arms(?).Later pagination: Paginated (1-17, [2 unnumbered pages], 18-437 [438?]) in bright red ink in upper outer and upper inner corners. Pp. 409ff. paginated in lower corners.Poor: The binding is coming apart (see below). Edges of most leaves are frayed and dark. Waste material loose.167mm x 135mmUnknownUnknownMajor

Low

Vignette: Interlace knot at the foot of fols. 88v, 135v and 220v.

Medium

Pastedowns contain contemporary manuscript waste. Front pastedown appears to be a letter signed by a certain B. Branulfsen. Presumably the initials at the foot of fols. 107v and 108r (B.B.) are his. One additional loose leaf has the same signature and a date of 6 April 1793. The same leaf bears the autograph (of a child?): "briniolfur ionson". Another leaf contains mention of a certain Jón Helgason á Bole.

Plain (contemporary)

Bound in contemporary(?) leather over wooden boards. Leather severely rubbed and coming away from the boards in several places. Traces of clasps which are now lacking. Half of back board missing.

1680-1755IcelandNote: Dated ca. 1700 in Jónas Kristjánsson's typescript catalog, but a date of 1755 seems more likely based on the information within the colophon to Grettis saga on fol. 220r.

Last update: 2013-07-17

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