Gripla - 20.12.2012, Qupperneq 214
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daughter of Ragnheiður Pétursdóttir á rauðum sokkum. the women who
link Ragnheiður Pétursdóttir to eiríkur auðgi Magnússon and Þorsteinn
eyjólfsson (namely, sigríður Þorsteinsdóttir, kristín Þorsteinsdóttir,
sigríður Björnsdóttir, Malmfríður eiríksdóttir, and soffía eiríksdóttir)
should also be mentioned. While it cannot be proven that these women
were directly involved in manuscript ownership and distribution, their im-
portance in the formation of links between influential families, and thereby
enhancement of power and wealth of these dynasties, is undeniable.
While Möðruvallabók appears to have remained in the north of Ice-
land until it was brought to Denmark at the end of the seventeenth
century, Flateyjarbók, clearly associated with one particular family in
Iceland, moved with its owners from the north of Iceland to the west.
According to its preface, Flateyjarbók (Gks 1005 fol.) was commissioned
by and belonged to jón Hákonarson of víðidalstunga. the bulk of the
manuscript was written in 1387 by two scribes, jón Þórðarson and Magnús
Þórhallsson. Magnús Þórhallsson furthermore added text in the latter
half of 1389 or in 1390 and sporadically between 1391 and 1394.39 the
manuscript must have been written in the north of Iceland at or close to a
monastery or nunnery with an extensive library, such as the monastery at
Þingeyrar.40 some leaves were added during the fifteenth century. It has
39 kolbrún Haraldsdóttir, “für welchen empfänger wurde die Flateyjarbók ursprünglich konzip-
iert?” Opuscula 13 (2010): 1–2, 4–5 30, 45. In her article, kolbrún Haraldsdóttir offers by far
the most precise dating of Flateyjarbók. she discusses in detail the theory that Flateyjarbók
was originally intended as a gift for king olaf Iv Hákonarson and argues convincingly
against it. Her article includes an overview of previous research and is an excellent and up-to-
date stepping stone for anyone interested in the history of Flateyjarbók. the general history
of Flateyjarbók is also outlined in e.g. Katalog over de oldnorsk-islandske håndskrifter i Det store
kongelige bibliotek og i Universitetsbiblioteket (undenfor den Arnamagnæanske samling) samt den
Arnamagnæanske samlings tilvækst 1894–99, ed. kristian kålund (Copenhagen: Gyldendalske
Boghandel, 1900), 10, 15; finnur jónsson, “Introduction,” Flateyjarbók. (Codex Flateyensis).
MS. no. 1005 Fol. in the Old Royal Collection in the Royal Library of Copenhagen, Corpus
Codicum Islandicorum Medii Aevi 1 (Copenhagen: Levin & Munksgaard, 1930), [3].
40 elizabeth Ashman Rowe, The Development of Flateyjarbók. Iceland and the Norwegian
Dynastic Crisis of 1389, the viking Collection, studies in northern Civilization 15 (odense:
the university Press of southern Denmark, 2005), 11. finnur jónsson argues that the
manuscript was written at the Þingeyrar monastery or possibly at víðidalstunga, where
jón Hákonarson lived, cf. finnur jónsson, “Introduction,” [3], [5]. According to sigurður
nordal, the exact origin of Flateyjarbók is a disputed topic, although he considers the mon-
astery at Þingeyrar a likely contender. sigurður nordal, “formáli,” Flateyjarbók 1 ([s.l.]:
flateyjarútgáfan, 1944), xii.