Gripla - 20.12.2012, Side 286

GRIPLA284
suMMARy
the author of Morkinskinna and Fagurskinna
Keywords: Morkinskinna, Fagurskinna, Heimskringla, skaldic poetry, snorri
sturluson, Bjarni Marðarson.
It is generally accepted that snorri sturluson is the author of Snorra-Edda, Heims-
kringla and perhaps also Egils saga. In this paper the author argues that snorri is
also the author of Morkinskinna and Fagurskinna, i.e. that all three compendia,
Morkinskinna, Fagurskinna and Heimskringla, are by the same writer, but that they
represent three variants created for different readers or patrons.
Three main arguments are offered in support of this proposition. Firstly, in
the section entitled “knowledge of skaldic Poetry” it is noted that a common fea-
ture of all three works is the authors’ exceptional knowledge of skaldic poetry. It
seems unlikely that many writers c.1220 were so well informed or had access to
such a collection of poetry. this alone may suggest that snorri could have been the
author of all three works. secondly, in the “An echo from Snorra-Edda” section it is
argued that the author of Morkinskinna sometimes explains skaldic stanzas in a
way that recalls their treatment in Snorra-Edda. this same feature can be found
in the third part of Fagurskinna, which used Morkinskinna as a source. this same
feature can also be found in the first and second part of Fagurskinna; and in all three
parts of Heimskringla. one possible explanation is that snorri was still working on
his Edda c.1220 when Morkinskinna and Fagurskinna were written, and that he un-
consciously adopted the same explicatory method for some of its stanzas. thirdly,
the “Attitudes and sources of three Authors” section shows that Morkinskinna,
Fagurskinna and Heimskringla use almost the same wording when discussing their
sources and content. the most natural explanation for these similarities is that in
each instance the same author is explaining his working methods. those points are
a special feature of Morkinskinna, Fagurskinna and Heimskringla.
the following sections present further arguments in support of the main con-
clusion. “the ‘þættir’ of Morkinskinna” shows that most of the þættir in Morkin-
skinna can be connected to snorri sturluson through genealogy or events in his
life. Section 7 identifies some Norwegian sources for Morkinskinna — for example,
from the royal archives, which Snorri could have seen during his first trip to Nor-
way 1218–1220. the author argues that snorri also derived information from nor-
wegian friends such as earl skúli (about the battle at stamford Bridge; earl tostig
was his ancestor).
sections 8-10 focus on Fagurskinna, which is supposed to have been written in
trondheim c.1220. snorri sturluson was there over the winter of 1219–1220. It is
argued that king Hákon’s counsellors asked snorri to write Fagurskinna, to help
strengthen the king’s claim to the norwegian crown. the Genealogies and Arn-