Gripla - 20.12.2013, Page 259

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alone and sigmundur took over in the middle of the fifth booklet. for
the second and third booklets, however, they alternated as scribes. some
of sigmundur’s scribal activity can be seen as having been instigated by
Gunnlaugur and is a sign of his influence, albeit only on a limited scale in
this case.
Bishop steingrímur jónsson (1769–1845) is perhaps the best known
person who benefitted from Gunnlaugur’s scribal and research activities
today. He studied at the university in Copenhagen and worked as a
scribe at the danish Royal Chancery. from 1805 until 1810 he was the
headmaster of the Latin school in Bessastaðir, then he was appointed to
a parish and in 1824 he was made bishop of the skálholt see. steingrímur
held many awards and was also a prominent politician. He is said to
have been one of the most knowledgeable men of Icelandic history and
genealogy, and there are many manuscripts extant containing his notes,
drafts and works.105 this famous and learned man was in contact with
Gunnlaugur and borrowed one of his manuscripts containing inform-
ation about parishes. In Lbs 180 4to, containing texts that focus on
clergymen and parishes, we read “utdreigid af Blödum sem Monsr.
Gunnlaugur jónsson á skuggabjörgum í skagafyrdi liedi mer i julio 1839”
[excerpted from pages that Mr. Gunnlaugur jónsson from skuggabjörg in
skagafjörður lent me in july 1839].106 on the first 81 leaves the manuscript
contains the Presbyterologia by Hálfdan einarsson that Gunnlaugur used
for his own description of parishes, followed by steingrímur’s extract of
Gunnlaugur’s descriptions. steingrímur copied the descriptions of the
agricultural and geological advantages and disadvantages of the parishes
and their respective farms, but leaves out information about the tax value
of farms and biographical information about vicars. Lbs 1744 8vo is the
manuscript in question that Gunnlaugur lent the bishop; steingrímur
noted the following on fol. 166r: “Gunnlaugur jónsson á skug<g>abjörgum
i skagafyrdi hefir i julio 1839 ljed mér þessi Blöd – og svo kallada árbók
1000 til 1763 steingrímur” [Gunnlaugur jónsson from skuggabjörg in
skagafjörður lent me these pages in july 1839 – and the so-called yearbook
105 see Páll eggert ólason, Íslenzkar æviskrár, 4:348–49; Skrá um handritasöfn Landsbókasafns,
Handritasafn Landsbókasafns: 1. aukabindi; and Lárus H. Blöndal, Handritasafn Lands-
bókasafns: 2. aukabindi.
106 Lbs 180 4to, fol. 82r:1–3.
GunnLAuGuR jónsson fRoM skuGGABjÖRG