Gripla - 20.12.2011, Page 65

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As in the case of the two nautical catalogues with symbolical implica-
tions, the text of the rainbow allegory was first edited by E. Kölbing in
18798 and then more reliably by L. Larsson in 1891.9 The relevant page
of AM 673 a II, 4to, which is incidentally one of the oldest Icelandic
manuscripts,10 is badly damaged due to the parchment being of a very soft
8 Cf. E. Kölbing, “Geistliche Auslegung von Schiff und Regenbogen,” Zeitschrift für deutsches
Altertum und deutsche Litteratur 23 (1879): 258–261 (rainbow allegorical text: 261).
9 Cf. Ludvig Larsson, “Nochmals Schiff und Regenbogen,” Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum
und deutsche Literatur 35 (1891): 244–248 (rainbow allegorical text: 247–248). Larsson’s
edition is basically the source of the text printed both by Håkon Hamre, “‘Þá er vér erum á
skipum staddir...’ Forníslenzk prédikun,” Skírnir 123 (1949): 186–190 (normalized Icelandic
edition, with a few minor alterations: 189), and by James W. Marchand, “Two Notes on
the Old Icelandic Physiologus Manuscript,” Modern Language Notes 91, 3 (April 1976):
501–505, but especially 503–505 (text and modern English translation: 504).
10 In fact, AM 673 a I and II, 4to (ca. 1200) are the oldest illustrated manuscripts preserved in
Iceland. They have been the subject of special editorial and critical attention, their content
being mainly concerned with the Physiologus tradition. AM 673 a, 4to is actually composed
of three different manuscripts or manuscript fragments (cf. AM 673 a I–III, 4to), all ill-
ustrated and mostly dealing with allegorical matters. Fragment I (two leaves) opens with
the Old Icelandic so-called Physiologus A (fols. 1r-v), a moral interpretation of five symbolic
animals with illustrations for all but the last, followed by an iconographic cycle illustrating
Isidorus’ portenta derived from Etym. XI, III (fols. 2r-v), with pictures arranged in three
lines and from the same hand as the first folio’s illustrator. Fragment II (eight adjoining
leaves plus one separate leaf) contains first the so-called Physiologus B (fols. 1–5), an Old
Icelandic rendering of the Physiologus proper, that is descriptions of 15 animals and their
allegorical meaning, all but one of which (deer) is illustrated; then an illustrated text on
four more animals, again interpreted allegorically but derived from commentaries on the
Bible rather than from the Physiologus or bestiaries tradition (fols. 5v-6v); and finally, a
double ship allegory in a homiletic form, followed by a symbolical interpretation of the
colours of the rainbow, which is our main concern here (fols. 8–9). Fol. 6v and the single
leaf inserted as fol. 7 of this second manuscript contain various material in later hands,
namely a Latin evangelical fragment (palimpsest, 16th century) and a medical text in East
Norwegian dialect (about 1370), together with two different pictures of the elephant, which
is the last animal discussed on fol. 6v. Manuscript III (21 fols.) is the famous ‘Drawing
Book’ (Teiknibókin), an independent illustrated manuscript dating from the 15th century
and dealing with episodes from the Bible and various sacred subjects. The core of the
editorial tradition concerning the ‘Physiologus manuscript’ is still Halldór Hermannsson,
The Icelandic Physiologus, Islandica 27 (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1938; repr.
New York: Kraus Reprint Corporation, 1966), 7–15 for a paleographic and codicological
description, 17–21 for the Physiologus text. See also V. Dahlerup, “Physiologus i to islandske
bearbeidelser. Udgiven med indledning og oplysninger,” Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed
og Historie 2, 4 (1889): 199–290 (diplomatic edition of the texts, with careful paleographic
analysis and lithographic facsimile of the relevant pages). On Teiknibókin see Björn Th.
Björnsson, Íslenzka teiknibókin í Árnasafni (Reykjavík: Heimskringla Prentsmiðjan Hólar
H–F, 1954). A new facsimile edition with commentary by Guðbjörg Kristjánsdóttir is
THE R A INBOW A LLEG ORY