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been trimmed at the top so that several lines have been lost and on the
inner edge so that a part of each line is missing. the outer edge has also
been trimmed but for the most part this trimming has not caused a loss
of text, although the last letters are lacking from a few lines. the leaf has
been cut across withways and now consists of four strips. these strips may
have been used as padding, perhaps in the binding of a book. they are not
worn but would seem to have been exposed to damp.”11 By comparing the
legends in AM 667 V and XI 4to with their source, the legends in the Low
German Passionael, it is possible to get an idea of the number of lines lost.
Using fols. 2 and 3 of Am 667 v 4to, Overgaard estimates that columns
3ra and 3rv originally had about 48 lines, and that these lines must have
taken up about 21–22 cm. she believes that in its original form the codex
was in folio size, measuring approximately 20 x 30 cm. As for the contents
of the parts of the codex that have been lost, she is of the opinion that “the
fragmentary ms contained further legends of apostles and evangelists
than the four mentioned ones and that these legends were also based on
the Passionael.”12 she suggests that it may have served as a companion to
Reykjahólabók, which is likewise based on Low german sources, but which
consists primarily of legends of the saints.13
2. edition of Am 667 v and XI 4to
the legends of the apostles in AM 667 V and XI 4to are edited below and
are followed by editions of legible letters in the two small strips from AM
11 The History of the Cross­Tree, c–ci.
12 The History of the Cross­Tree, ciii.
13 Cf. Reykjahólabók, xxxviii–xxxix: “I det håndskrift, hvoraf fragmenterne V og XI i AM
667, 4o er en lille rest, kunde man formode, at også de øvrige apostellegender i Der Heiligen
Leben har været; det drejer sig om flg.: Petrus vnde Paulus 1 ra–liii va, Jacob de hillighe
apostel de grote lxxix ra–lxxxi va, Bartholomeus cxxvi ra–cxxviii ra, Matheus apostel vnde
ewangelista clv vb–clvi vb, Lucas ccxxvii vb–ccxxviii rb, Symon vnde Judas ccxxx ra–ccxxxi
vb, Johannes apostel vnde ewangelista cccviii ra­cccx rb, Mathias apostel ccclxviii rb–ccclxix
vb. (Det skal tilføjes, at Johannes vnde Paulus, som findes bl. xlvii vb–xlix ra, ikke handler
om de to apostle af dette navn, men om de to hellige mænd i kejser Constantins datters,
Constantias, tjæneste.) Evt. kunde man til apostellegenderne også henføre: Johannes
baptisten boert xliiii va–xlxi va, Johannes baptisten enthouige cxxxii va–cxxxiiiira. Der er
imidlertid intet bevis for at der har været en fuldstændig konsekevent adskillelse af de to
håndskrifters indhold, således at Reykjahólabók udelukkende har været et helgensagahånd­
skrift og den fragmentarisk overleverede bog udelukkende et apostelsagahåndskrift.”
LOW GeRmAN LeGeNds OF tHe APOstLes . . .
GRIPLA XXVI. - 12.12.B.indd 141 12/13/15 8:24:40 PM