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surprising that the content according to the titles of the shorter version
refer to the Nativity. Furthermore, most of the denotations of the hymn
as a Christmas hymn appear here, and thus also imply the nativity.40 since
only the additional stanzas by Hallgrímur Pétursson tell of Judgment Day
and eternal life, these aspects are exclusively mentioned in titles intro-
ducing the longer versions, as well as the first printed edition from 1773.
these form group 2a. Most of them also include the nativity (“um fæðing
kristi, dómsdag og eilíft líf”). Another group, 2b, is formed by those desig-
nating Hljómi raustin barna best as a prayer hymn to Christ (“Bænarsálmur
til Christum”). Lastly, group 2c covers titles that are rather unspecific
about the hymn’s content.41 the rubric in the academic manuscript forms
an exception within this group since it also presents the sources for Páll
Pálsson’s writing.
some of the oldest extant manuscripts of the shorter version refer to
the hymn’s origin as a translation from Latin; the rubric then includes the
notice “úr latínu.”42 Another variant of this is the autograph thott 473 4to,
which comprises the Latin title Personent hodie. the lack of references to
the Latin origin in the rubrics of the longer versions is not unexpected,
since the status of the hymn as a translation is much more significant for
the shorter than the longer versions. Instead, the author of the various ad-
ditional stanzas, Hallgrímur Pétursson, is mentioned in many rubrics of
the long versions.43 even though Hallgrímur’s name is not mentioned in all
of them, his role can be assumed from the context in which the hymn ap-
pears in a number of manuscripts, i.e. when a manuscript contains hymns
mainly written by Hallgrímur Pétursson and/or his name is mentioned on
the manuscript’s title page.44 However, some of the manuscripts are defec-
tive, and where first leaves are missing, it is feasible that the poet was men-
tioned on their title pages or in a table of contents, if these were originally
40 three of eight (js 141 8vo, js 643 4to, Lbs 1192 8vo). the only rubric of the short versions
that does not at least imply the Nativity is the autograph thott 473 4to.
41 the only exception is MS Boreal 113, which denotes it as Christmas hymn similar to some
of the rubrics of the shorter versions.
42 JS 385 8vo, JS 386 8vo, Lbs 847 4to and all heiðra-group manuscripts.
43 EDL a and b 8vo, ÍB 380 8vo, JS 138 8vo, Lbs 238 b 8vo, Lbs 1422 8vo, Lbs 1485 8vo, Lbs
1536 8vo.
44 JS 208 8vo, JS 272 II 4to, Lbs 194 8vo, Lbs 1724 8vo. See Margrét Eggertsdóttir, “Hljómi
raustin barna best,” 165.
An ICELAnDIC CHrIStMAS HYMn