Gripla - 20.12.2004, Page 39

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON STJÓRN 37
which the author of Konungs skuggsjá wished to propound. Since it is hard to
believe that the author of Stjórn III had any original interest in purveying ideas
of that kind, it must be concluded that it was he who was indebted to Konungs
skuggsjá and not the reverse. As far as I know, there has been no discussion of
this most recent explanation of the relations between the two works except by
Kirby in Appendix H of his 1986 book. He there criticises a number of the
points made by Hofmann and Bagge and holds fast to the old view that Stjórn
III is the source and the author of Konungs skuggsjá the borrower.
I shall make no attempt to settle the controversy, though we can be certain
that the last word on the subject has not yet been said. It may be noted, for
example, that neither Hofmann nor Bagge takes the possibility into account
that Stjórn III was based on an older translation which might itself have been
available to the author of Konungs skuggsjá. Hofmann also draws attention to
the fact that in the passages the two works have in common there are num-
erous readings in the Stjórn III text which agree with some particular Icelandic
copies of Konungs skuggsjá, whose place in the stemma is far removed from
the Norwegian so-called „main“ manuscript (see Hofmann 1973:24 et seq.).
Hofmann’s observations clearly show the need for fresh investigation of both
Konungs skuggsjá and Stjórn manuscripts before any firm conclusions can be
reached.32 Hofmann suggests that the readings peculiar to Icelandic copies of
Konungs skuggsjá might stem from the first draft of the work, while the
corresponding variant passages in the Norwegian „main“ manuscript are the
result of authorial revision. Such a theory necessarily implies that both Kon-
ungs skuggsjá and Stjórn III were produced in the same period. In propound-
ing this solution Hofmann resuscitates the old notion that the author of Stjórn
III was, or could be, Brandr Jónsson, abbot of the Austin house of fiykkvabær
from 1247, who was consecrated bishop of Hólar in 1263 and died in the
following year (Hofmann 1973:14–17, 38).
Konungs skuggsjá cannot be dated with complete certainty but there is a
broad consensus in favour of assigning it to c. 1250–60 (see Bagge 1974:195
with references). Brandr Jónsson’s last visit to Norway was in 1262–63, on
the occasion of his consecration as bishop. We know of no voyages he may
have made in the 1250s, but there is no mention of him in Icelandic accounts
32 Holm-Olsen discusses and partly accepts Hofmann’s conclusions in the introduction of his
facsimile edition of AM 243 a fol, the most important of the Icelandic copies of Konungs
skuggsjá, see Holm-Olsen 1987:12–17.