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although it is not possible to determine a specific source or manuscript.
the Rev. jón Hjaltalín was one of the foremost poets of his time and has
even been called a “best-selling author” by the standards of his day,63 with
an abundance of extant copies of his literary works, both in handwritten
and printed form. during his lifetime, more than fifty of his psalms were
published in Magnús stephensen’s psalm book, printed in Leirárgarðar in
1801 (the Aldamótabók), followed by posthumous publications of poems.
Although he was forgotten for some time, some of his works have recently
been printed and published.64 the Rev. jón was perhaps best known for
his religious poetry,65 but had wide interests in literature, politics, law and
history.66 It was most likely the Rev. jón’s Fimtiu og sex tídavísur, printed
in Copenhagen in 1835 and transmitted in a number of manuscripts, that
Gunnlaugur used as source. It is unlikely that the two men, the Rev. jón
Hjaltalín and Gunnlaugur, met personally, but the Rev. jón’s tíðavísur
were widely known and are cited in extracts in jón espólín’s Árbækur,67
which Gunnlaugur also cites as sources and whose author he sporadically
mentions in his diary. It is also possible that Gunnlaugur became familiar
with the Rev. jón’s work through his acquaintance einar Bjarnason (1782–
1856), a lay historian working under the Rev. jón konráðsson (1772–1850)
at Mælifell. However, for more reliable statements about Gunnlaugur’s
sources, such as the genealogies and newsletters that he mentioned, and
his scribal network other sources have to be consulted.
1. aukabindi; Lárus H. Blöndal, ed., Handritasafn Landsbókasafns: 2. aukabindi (Reykjavík:
Landsbókasafn, 1959); Grímur M. Helgason and Lárus H. Blöndal, eds., Handritasafn
Lands bókasafns: 3. aukabindi (Reykjavík: Landsbókasafn íslands, 1970); Grímur M. Helga-
son and Ögmundur Helgason, eds., Handritasafn Landsbókasafns. 4. aukabindi (Reykja vík:
Landsbókasafn íslands – Háskólabókasafn); and www.handrit.is.
63 driscoll, The Unwashed Children of Eve, 76. A thorough analysis of the Rev. jón’s literary
work can be found there, as well as a detailed biography.
64 for example jón Hjaltalín, Fjórar sögur frá hendi Jóns Oddssonar Hjaltalín, ed. Matthew
james driscoll, stofnun Árna Magnússonar á íslandi, Rit, vol. 66 (Reykjavík: stofnun
Árna Magnússonar á íslandi, 2006), an edition of four sagas either written or translated by
the Rev. jón.
65 see driscoll, The Unwashed Children of Eve, 78.
66 see driscoll, The Unwashed Children of Eve, 88–89, 208 and 213.
67 see jón espólín, Íslands árbækur í sögu-formi (Copenhagen: Hið íslenzka bókmenntafélag,
1821–55; reprint, Reykjavík: [s.n.], 1942–47), 9:112–14.