Árbók Landsbókasafns Íslands - Nýr flokkur - 01.01.1979, Page 98

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ENGLISH SUMMARY
In this paper the writing of the Eldrit (A Description of the Volcanic Activity in the County of
Skaptafellssýsla in 1783) is discussed in some detail with reference to Sveinn Pálsson’s diaries and
journals. It is, for example, shown that the final version of the work dates from 1806, even though
most of it was written during the summer of 1794.
But Sveinn Pálsson did not send it to the Natural History Society in order to have it published.
One of the reasons may be quarrels between some of the leading members of the ruling class,
which he appears to have been drawn into incidentally. The Eldrit includes severe criticism of
Magnús Stephensen’s account of the eruption in 1783, and Sveinn Pálsson may not have found it
prudent to pick a quarrel with him and his supporters. But in 1806 he asked Bjarni Thorarensen
to take it to Copenhagen, apparently for publication. Sveinn may have taken this step because of
derogatory remarks made about his research by Magnús Stephensen in a work published in 1806.
The Eldrit was not, however, published at this time, possibly because of the Napoleonic wars.
Finally, it is instructive to compare the methods used by Magnús Stephensen and Sveinn
Pálsson in their works about the eruption in 1783. It seems that Magnús Stephensen relies
sometimes too much on intuition whereas a sharp critical observation is a characteristic of Sveinn
Pálsson.
Þorleifur Jónsson: Rit Eggerts Ólafssonar um trúarbrögð fornmanna. Landsbókasafn Islands.
Árbók. Nýr Jlokkur 4(1978). Rv. 1979, pp.49-52.
An autograph manuscript of a treatise on the religion of the ancient North, written in Latin by
Eggert Ólafsson in 1750-51, was recently bought by the National Library. Eggert Ólafsson
(1726-68), naturalist and poet, was one of the leadefs of the Enlightenment in Iceland. It has
been known for a long time that he wrote a treatise on this subject, but the work was never printed
and it was thought to have been lost. It reappeared in a British private library that was auctioned
at Sotheby’s in 1977.
Eggert sets out with a preface where he explains the scope and arrangement of his work. He
goes on to discuss the basis of Northern mythology, the Æsir in particular, but the rest of the
treatise is an account of the spirits of the air, the spirits of the earth and, finally, the human spirit
or the soul. Eggert’s study is at all points based on old Icelandic literature, and there are
numerous references to and excerpts from Snorri’s Edda, the Heimskringla, Njáls saga and
dozens of other works. This treatise is of importance to all students of Eggert and, indeed, anyone
interested in the Enlightenment in Iceland.
Grímur M. Helgason: „Af skrifuðum skræðum er allt gott.“ Þáttur af skiptum Jóns Sigurðs-
sonar ogjóns Borgíirðings. Landsbókasafn Islands. Arbók. Nýrflokkur 4(1978). Rv. 1979, pp. 53-65.
Jón Sigurðsson (1811-1879), President of the Icelandic Literary Society, was a great collector
of manuscripts and books about Iceland, both for himself and for the Icelandic Literary Society.
His home was in Copenhagen, but he had many friends in Iceland who collected manuscripts for
him and sent to him.
In this paper an account is given of the correspondence between Jón Sigurðsson and one of
those friends, Jón Borgfirðingur (1826-1912), which lasted for almost a quarter of a century.
They met in 1853, and after that Jón Borgfirðingur was one ofjón Sigurðsson’s most active
collectors. Jón Borgílrðingur, a book-binder and book-seller, worked for the Icelandic Literary
Society for many years, and many of the letters deal with the aífairs of the Society. But usually we
see Jón Sigurðsson urging his friend not only to sell more books for the Society, but to acquire
more manuscripts however insignificant for its collection. Jón Borgfirðingur complains about the
dillículties ol acquiring anything of value and his financial troubles, and asks Jón Sigurðsson to
help him solve various problems.
Their co-operation was most fruitful, and without it many valuable items would be missing
from the Jón Sigurðsson Collection and the Collection of the Icelandic Literary Society, both of
which are now in the National Library.