Gripla - 01.01.1995, Síða 157

STEFANUS SAGA IN REYKJAHÓLABÓK
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232-33) rather than the legend of James the Less. In Jacobus de Vora-
gine’s redaction the emperor’s friend is named Volusianus (pp.
232-33), thus attesting the reliability of the reference in Sth. 3 to a va-
riant name in other books. The compiler of Stefanus saga in Sth. 3 pre-
sumably decided to omit the legend of Veronica because he saw no
sense in including the same tale in two different legends, and appar-
ently considered the legend of James the Less a more appropriate ve-
hicle for the miracle tale than Stefanus saga.
The legend of St. James the Less is not found in Reykjahólabók, but
circumstantial evidence suggests that the comment may be Björn Þor-
leifsson’s, who was either planning to copy or translate the legend of
James the Less or had already done so. We know that Björn wrote an-
other hagiographical manuscript, of which only fragments are trans-
mitted (AM 667 V and XI 4to), that is, of the legend of the Cross-Tree,
as well as the legends of Sts. Andrew, James the Greater, Philipp, and
Mark.25 The fragments suggest that the manuscript had contained the
life of Christ and those associated with him, namely the apostles and
evangelists. From the repeated cross references in Reykjahólabók to
the legend of St. James the Less and the omission of an important nar-
rative segment of the legend of St. Stephen with the comment that we
can find this matter in the legend of St. James the Less, one can infer
that if Björn had not produced an anthology of lives of the apostles
and evangelists prior to Reykjahólabók - Mariane Overgaard consid-
ers the fragments in AM 677 anterior to Reykjahólabók and dates
them ca. 1525 (The History ofthe Cross-Tree, p. CIX) - then he at least
was intimately familiar with the texts that would be a part of it. There-
fore Björn seems to have made a conscious decision into which leg-
ends narratives common to two or more saints should be incorporated.
This assumes that Björn functioned not only as copyist but also as
25 See Mariane Overgaard, ed., The History ofthe Cross-Tree Down to Christ’s Pas-
sion, pp. xcix-cxi; Agnete Loth, Reykjahólabók, I, xxi-xxii. See also Stefán Karlsson,
„Ritun Reykjarfjarðarbókar. Excursus: Bókagerð bænda,“ Opnscula, IV, Bibl. Arn.,
XXX (Copenhagen: Munksgaard. 1970), p. 138; Jonna Louis-Jensen, „Den yngre del af
Flateyjarbók," Afmœlisrit Jóns Helgasonar. 30. júní 1969 (Reykjavík: Heimskringla,
1969), pp. 235-50. She writes: „Björn Þorleifsson var en pvet skriver, med hvis karak-
teristiske hánd der foreligger dels et meget stort antal diplomer, dels det store legende-
hándskrift Perg. fol. nr. 3 i Stockholm (fragmenter af endnu et legendehándskrift med
hans hánd er bevaret i AM 667 4to)“ (pp. 243-44).