Gripla - 20.12.2004, Page 32

GRIPLA30
As mentioned above, the author of the prologue says that it was the king’s
intention that the work should provide lections to explain what lies behind the
celebration of Sundays and other festivals devoted not to particular saints but
to God Himself („sem eigi er ƒ›rum heilƒgum mƒnnum einkanlega sungit en
sjálfum gu›i“). At the start there are some signs of selection and arrangement
on the lines thus laid down. Universal history is presented in customary
fashion with division into the world’s seven ages (Unger 1862:24–28), and at
the end of the first age (Unger 1862:48), the author introduces a homily on
lenten observance from Septuagesima. After that begins „annarr partr flessarar
gƒr›ar eptir forsƒgn ... Hákonar Nóregs konungs ... eptir flví sem ƒ›rum
sunnudegi í níu vikna fƒstu ok fleiri vikunni til heyrir“ (the second part of this
work following the instruction ... of Hákon, king of Norway ... according to
what is proper for Sexagesima and the week thereafter; Unger 1862:54).23
Then comes an account of the second age, which ends (Unger 1862:67) before
the writer embarks on his long geographical description. When this is finished
(Unger 1862:100), there is no sort of preface to what follows and no further
mention of the ages of mankind: the third age is in fact still current when
Stjórn I ends. Later on, however, a homily is introduced (Unger 1862:141–
58), which according to its title in 227 was intended for the first Sunday in
Lent. After that there is no more reference to division according to the church
year, and the arrangement envisaged in the prologue appears now to be totally
abandoned.
But there is more than this unfulfilled promise to notice in the prologue.
The first part of it consists of a slightly expanded version of the opening of
Peter Comestor’s prologue to Historia scholastica; the second part explains the
cause and purpose of the Stjórn I undertaking. Here we find some of the topoi
customary in such preambles; we are told who inspired the commission, and
the author excuses his lack of skill and begs the forbearance of good men. On
the other hand, we are not told what the extent of the work was intended to be,
merely that it opens „at the start of the Scripture“ („af ritningarinnar upp-
hafi“). Finally, there is no formal dedication or address, such as we might
reasonably expect to find if the finished work had in fact ever been presented
to the king.
Stjórn I ends with Exodus 18 and, as far as we can see, never went any
farther. It must be counted unlikely that it was originally intended to stop
23 This heading is only in 226; there is a lacuna in 227.