Gripla - 2021, Page 19

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in a thirteenth-century Icelandic fragment, AM 655 XXI 4to, the order of
events is logical, the wording is similar, and in both Cuthbert’s name is
written “chutbertvs”.
This textual evidence is supported by palaeographical and orthographi-
cal evidence. Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir has identified more than ten scribal
hands in AM 764 4to. Her conclusion is that not all of the hands worked
on the codex simultaneously, but that the manuscript’s current composition
is the result of at least two different phases of production, made by differ-
ent groups of scribes.33 Almost all the characteristics Svanhildur associates
with the scribe she designates as hand E, who worked on the second phase
of AM 764 4to, can also be found in 980.34 For example:
In 764, /æ/ following /v/ is frequently written ⟨iæ⟩. In 980, væ is ex-
clusively written ⟨uiæ⟩: “alluiænliga” 40r18; “uiænn” 41r40, 41v14.
In 764, /ð/ is normally written ⟨d⟩ but ⟨þ⟩ is common after ⟨r⟩. ⟨þ⟩ for
/ð/ also crops up elsewhere, particularly between vowels. The same situ-
ation can be found in 980, e.g. “orþ” 40r4, 40r14; “dyrþ” 40r12; “vorþinn”
40r27; “giorþ” 40v10 (twice), 41v37; “uirþiz” 41r38. ⟨þ⟩ between vowels
occurs in “dauþa” 41v13 and “laþaþi” 41v24. Svanhildur also points out that
hand E regularly writes ⟨þ⟩ in the last syllable of polysyllabic words where
⟨d⟩ or ⟨ð⟩ has already occurred. One of her examples is “unndruþuz” (764,
8r11). This also occurs in 980, see “unn|druþuz” 40v35–36 and “andaþr”
41v33, but, as the above-mentioned example of “laþaþi” shows, this rule is
not strictly adhered to in 980.
In 764, the palatisation of /g/ and /k/ before /æ/ is represented in the
orthography, but not before /e/. In 980, /kæ/ and /gæ/ are never found
without an inserted ⟨i⟩, e.g. “skiærazti” 40r32; “kiæruztu” 40v16; “giæddiz”
40v40; “agiætr” 41v14. /ke/ and /ge/ are never written with an inserted
⟨i⟩.
In 764, /n/ is as a rule doubled before /d/. This is also very common in
980, e.g. “annda” 40r19; “henndi” 40v3; “mynnd” 41r8; but cf. e.g. “enda”
33 Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir, “The Resourceful Scribe,” 330–39.
34 The following description of the scribe’s norms in AM 764 4to are mainly based on
Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir’s observations in “Universal History,” 34–39. According to
Svanhildur, Hand E is responsible for these parts of AM 764 4to: 4bis, 6v–9v, 10v38–11r2,
36r1–13, 37v, 42v33–43r23, and a few words in l. 18r14. Apart from three words in Stowe
MS 980, 40v22–23, which appear to be in a separate hand, a sole scribe is responsible for
the text on the bifolium.
ANECDOTES OF SEVERAL ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTERBURY