Gripla - 20.12.2017, Side 210

GRIPLA210
dler om berømte kvinder” [which treats famous women], might be includ-
ed in this group of poems, although it uses a different refrain.46 Indeed,
it might be considered among those poems responding to Guðmundur’s
challenge, with the intention of presenting a work about famous women
(among whom notable Icelandic examples are included), rather than yet
another poem about famous men.
“Sprundahrós” and the kappakvæði form a kind of discourse on gender
with their respective focuses on those attributes considered worthy of
praise for men and women in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Iceland.
Whereas the men in the kappakvæði in vikivaki metre are celebrated for
being brave and valiant warriors who performed heroic deeds, the women
of “Sprundahrós” are praised for virtues such as wisdom, piety, obedience,
hospitality, and charity. and whereas the heroes of the kappakvæði want
an audience with the poet, who will recount his exploits, the women of
“Sprundahrós” are modest, humble, and faithful Christians, and therefore
even more worthy of praise. Indeed, all of the women detailed in the poem
are lauded for exhibiting the ideals for women listed in Luther’s minor
catechism (Sá minni katekismus) in the table of duties (hústafla) section,
which states that wives should be obedient and submissive, and widows
pious.47 By appropriating and adapting the refrain and style of the kap-
pakvæði in order to detail famous women from Iceland and abroad, Jón á
Kvíabekk both rises to Guðmundur’s challenge and provides insight into
early modern Icelandic gender ideals, especially as viewed from the per-
spective of the clergy.
Edition
What follows is a parallel diplomatic and normalized edition of the text. It
is based on ÍB 815 8vo, which is the oldest witness. text that is unclear due
to wear or damage has been placed in brackets, with missing text supplied
from the other two witnesses (JS 255 4to and JS 589 4to). Variants from
these two manuscripts are also given in footnotes where applicable.
46 Jón Helgason, Íslenzk fornkvæði, 8: 120.
47 Sa Minne Catechismus D. Martini Lutheri (Hólar, 1660), [56] and [59].