Gripla - 20.12.2010, Page 52

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seems to have been quite widespread in the north and the wish for his
sanctification emanated in the north of Iceland as well.116
We have put forth the argument that AM 382 4to represents the auto-
graph edition of the B-version of Þorláks saga helga, written in the middle of
the 14th century to promote the worship of the saint by providing texts in
the vernacular for reading on St Þorlákr’s feast days, and to complement the
new Latin office. Róbert Abraham Ottósson suggests that Arngrímur
Brandsson (died 1361/2) was the author of Þorlákstíðir, who was both abbot
of Þingeyrar and in the following of Bishop Ormur Ásláksson of Hólar
(1342-1356) (DI II, 835). Arngrímur wrote his Guðmundar saga, around the
time when Ormur Ásláksson had the bones of St Guðmundr Arason trans-
lated in 1344. Arngrímur’s main source was a Guðmundar saga which was
possibly written by his contemporary Bergr Sokkason, former monk at
Þingeyra klaustur and now abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Munka-
þverá.117 About Bergr Sokkason it is said in Laurentius saga biskups that he
was a highly learned man and had written many saints’ lives in Old Norse-
Icelandic.118 One of these sagas is Nikulás saga erkibyskups, which is prefaced
with a letter by Bergr containing instructions for its reading, where he
specifies that he has translated the life and miracles (lif ok jarteignir) of the
blessed Archbishop Nicholai Mirrensis rather more completely than can be
found in ancient books (helldr fullari, en adr finnz skrifud i fornum bokum),
and names his Latin source. At the end of the letter, he asks the reader to
request of his audience to recite Ave Maria for the peace and grace of his
(Bergr’s) soul. Accordingly, he begs of copyists that they transcribe the letter
with the saga, which has no doubt led to its unusual preservation. After
writing out in full the Hail Mary, and immediately before his own prologue
to the saga – a prologue which displays concern for reading, writing and
116 Brønsted, Jacobsen, and Danstrup, Kulturhistorisk leksikon, s.v. “Þorlákr helgi Þor hallsson;”
Cormack, The Saints in Iceland, 11.
117 Stefán Karlsson, Stafkrókar, 143. See also Böðvar Guðmundsson and others, eds., Ís lensk
bókmenntasaga, Vol. 2 (Reykjavík: Mál og Menning, 1993), 249–263, for a detailed dis-
cussion of Bergr Sokkason’s biography and works and his connection to Guðmundar saga
(C-redaction).
118 Árni Björnsson, ed., Laurentius saga biskups (Reykjavík: Handritastofnun Íslands, 1969),
229. “Var hann formenntur maður umfram flesta menn þá á Íslandi <um> klerkdóm, letur,
söng og málsnilld. Saman setti hann margar heilagra manna sögur í norrænu, sem birtast
mun og auðsýnast meðan þetta land er byggt.”