Gripla - 20.12.2012, Blaðsíða 208

GRIPLA206
the importance of female members of these dynasties in the distribution
of manuscripts.
the starting Point: Gks 1002–1003 fol.
In january 1692, Björn Þorleifsson15 presented two beautiful, large vellum
manuscripts, Gks 1002-1003 fol., bound in red velvet with gilt-edged pag-
es, to the Danish king Christian v, likely in hopes of receiving the support
of the king to become bishop.16 the volumes contain a variety of Icelandic
family sagas (Íslendingasögur), including Grettis saga and Njáls saga, leg-
endary sagas (fornaldarsögur), and romances (riddarasögur). the choice
of Gks 1002–1003 fol. as a starting point for this article is debatable,
since the manuscripts have no obvious connection to female ownership.
nonetheless, I discovered women’s involvement in manuscript production
and distribution while researching the manuscript context of Gks 1002–
1003 fol.17 All the manuscripts used in this article are connected to the two
volumes, and it is therefore sustainable to use Gks 1002–1003 fol. as a
starting point and connecting thread throughout this article.
Gks 1002–1003 fol. were written in 1667 and 1670 by Páll sveinsson
and commissioned by jón eyjólfsson of eyvindarmúli in the Rangárvellir
district of southern Iceland.18 According to the manuscripts’ title pages, they
were meant for the entertainment of jón and “other pious men” (odrvmm
Froomumm Monnum),19 who likely included Bishop Brynjólfur sveinsson
15 Björn Þorleifsson was a descendant of the svalbarð family on both the maternal and
paternal side of his family. His mother, sigríður Björnsdóttir was the granddaughter of
Magnús prúði jónsson of svalbarð and his wife Ragnheiður eggertsdóttir. His father,
Þorleifur jónsson, was the great-grandson of steinunn jónsdóttir of svalbarð. see fn. 13
and fig. 3.
16 Desmond slay, “on the origin of two Icelandic Manuscripts in the Royal Library in
Copenhagen,” Opuscula 1 (1960): 149.
17 this research was conducted as part of my dissertational studies of manuscripts contain-
ing Njáls saga, which is connected to the research project “the variance of Njáls saga,” a
collaborative effort by a group of old norse-Icelandic scholars to study the manuscripts
and reception of Njáls saga from different angles in preparation for a new edition of the
text. More information about the project can be found online at “the variance of njáls
saga,” <http://njalssaga.wordpress.com/>.
18 slay, “on the origin of two Icelandic Manuscripts,” 143–150.
19 for the complete reconstructed text of the title pages, see Ibid., 144–145.