Gripla - 2020, Qupperneq 77

GRIPLA76
the other way around. The matter is further complicated by B, which is
not consulted by Jansson and not included in the apparatus by Björn K.
Þórólfsson.23 Björn notes that the B text is somewhat abbreviated, but
that it leaves out no information except for ‘nogle af digressionerne’ – he
does not state which.24 In fact, B has none of the five digressions found in
R and F (the fourth is found only in F) but missing in the text of the first
secretary of Hb, even though B is more closely affiliated with F than with
any other manuscript.25 It does have the full digression about the smallness
of Þorgeirr’s heart, however, like F, R and M, as well as the preceding one
about how God created it.26
The beginning down to page 51 in Björn K. Þórólfsson’s edition is
missing in B, and the digressions are found in chapters that are omitted in
B.27 The evidence is thus limited, but I believe that B may offer some clues
with regard to the character of Hb’s exemplar. Several factors complicate
the analysis, however: Fóstbrœðra saga in M ends just after the first secre-
tary takes over in Hb;28 both Hb and B are acephalous; and B has omitted
several relevant chapters. Furthermore, B shares many variants with F
against M, but also a number of variants with Hb and R against F.29 Björn
and Jónas have constructed one stemma each.
The key point to bear in mind in the evaluation of these stemmas is that
it is unlikely that R and F would independently have added the last five
digressions (except the fourth one, only in F), but equally unlikely that Hb
and B would independently have omitted them. This observation would
suggest grouping R and F together against Hb and B, but that would run
counter to the fact that Björn and Jónas both see Hb as closely related
to R and F as closely related to B. Constructing an alternative stemma
under these circumstances would entail ad hoc solutions, and this would
undermine the credibility of the stemma. I therefore restrict myself to the
23 Fóstbrœðra saga, ed. Björn K. Þórólfsson, xxxiii.
24 Fóstbrœðra saga, ed. Björn K. Þórólfsson, xxxii.
25 I have consulted AM 76 a fol. The missing digressions would have been on 121r, 122v,
124r, 125v.
26 AM 76 a fol. 118r.
27 See the table in Jónas Kristjánsson, Um ‘Fóstbræðrasögu’, 66–68.
28 See the table in Jónas Kristjánsson, Um ‘Fóstbræðrasögu’, 62–68. The text of transcripts of
M ends on ‘Hauksbók’, ed. Finnur Jónsson, 388, whereas the first secretary begins writing
on 387.
29 Fóstbrœðra saga, ed. Björn K. Þórólfsson, xxxi–xxxii.