Gripla - 20.12.2010, Blaðsíða 53

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pronunciation similar to that of the B-redactor119 – Bergr composes a Latin
poem of eight verses in hexameters, the last of which are Leonine, and all of
which are written out in the same layout as the verses of AM 382 4to, i.e. in
order to ensure that the writing block everywhere has the same width, the
scribe leaves an open space where necessary between the penultimate and
last letter, which he fills with ornament:120
P resens huic operi sit gracia pneumatis alm i,
M e iuvet et faciat immplere quod utile fia t,
A ssit principio sancta maria me o,
A ve, tumbam sancti dilectam dat nichula i,
I n fundens olei sudorem sanctificat i,
D et michi peccanti ius patris scribere tant i,
U t prosit menti concordans sepe legent i.
S cribere si noris fructus tibi crescit honori s.121
119 C.R. Unger, Heilagra manna søgur II, 50. – “Þat ord er i upphafi var med gudi, fyrir hvert
gud skapadi alla hluti, gefi þann framburd tungu minni medr haleitri miskunn sinni, at ek
megi heyriliga boda lif ok iarteignir volldugs herra virduligs Nicholai Mirrensis erkibysk-
ups medr þvi efni ok undirstodu, sem meistari Johannes Barensis erkidiakn hefir sett ok
samit i latinu. Þvi er heyrandi i fyrstu sa prologus, sem hann frammi skrifar i ondverdu
briosti sinnar frasagnar, sendandi nockurum brodur Athanasio at nafni sva sem heilsanar-
bref undir kærleik astarinnar.”
120 The poem is only preserved in AM 638 4to. This manuscript is a copy of a 14th-cent-
ury codex belonging to the University of Copenhagen that was lost in the fire of 1728.
A note that accompanies AM 638 4to in the hand of Árni Magnússon identifies the
lost original (ʽNikulass Saga Mira biskups. Ex Codice Academico. in folio, Bibliothecæ
Resenianæ’). C.R. Unger, Heilagra manna søgur II, 49, refers to it as Codex Resenianus.
The copyist is Eyjólfur Björnsson, a reliable scribe, who worked under the instructions
of Árni Magnússon himself. See Guðvarður Már Gunnlaugsson, “Leiðbeiningar Árna
Magnússonar,” Gripla 12 (2001): 95–124. Other manuscripts of Bergr Sokkason’s Nikulás
saga erkibyskups leave out the poem, along with the Latin text of Ave Maria (only in AM
643 4to, 1r, a 14th-century ms. like the Codex Resenianus). On Bergr Sokkason and his
Nikulás saga erkibyskups including ample bibliographical references, see Sverrir Tómasson,
“Íslenskar Nikulás sögur,” Helgastaðabók: Nikulás saga: Perg. 4to nr. 16 Konungsbókhlöðu
í Stokkhólmi, eds. Selma Jónsdóttir, Stefán Karlsson and Sverrir Tómasson (Reykjavík:
Lögberg, 1982), 25–41.
121 English trans.: May the grace of the nurturing spirit be present in this work. / May she
assist me and make me fulfill what is useful. / May Saint Mary aid my beginning. / Hail
(Mary), she grants the grave of St Nicholas (to be) delightful, / pouring the sweat of the
blessed oil. / (May Mary) give me, the sinner, the right to write about so great a father (as
St Nicholas), / in such a way that she unifies and helps a mind always reading – / if you
know how to write (however), this will bring you the fruit of honor.
THE FORGOTTEN POEM