Gripla - 2021, Blaðsíða 20

GRIPLA18
40r15; “andaþr” 41v44. Svanhildur also mentions an example of ng writ-
ten with a double /n/. One example of this can be found in 980: “vnnga”
41r40.
In 764, ⟨qu⟩ is normally written for kv initially.35 In 980 we have “qvad”
40r20; “aquedínnar” 40v34; “kuiquendi” 41r9; and “quediur” 41v1. Apart
from “kuiquendi” there are no examples of ⟨ku⟩ for kv. This is consistent
with the use of ⟨q⟩ in 764.
As in 764, ⟨r⟩ tends to be long­shafted in 980.
In 764, ⟨⟩ (r rotunda) is used after the letters ⟨b⟩, ⟨d⟩, ⟨g⟩, ⟨p⟩, ⟨þ⟩, ⟨a⟩,
⟨y⟩, and occasionally after ⟨h⟩. In 980, ⟨⟩ is the preferred form of r after
⟨b⟩, ⟨d⟩, ⟨g⟩, ⟨þ⟩, ⟨y⟩, and also ⟨h⟩ (four times ⟨h⟩ is written and twice
⟨hr⟩). However, following ⟨p⟩ there is only the straight, regular ⟨r⟩, and
⟨a⟩ is rarely followed by ⟨⟩. A closer inspection of hand E’s habits in AM
764 4to reveals that in the latter half of the manuscript the scribe often
writes ⟨r⟩ after ⟨a⟩, e.g. “martirilogium” 37r12 and “þar” 43r3. At the same
time ⟨r⟩ begins to replace ⟨⟩ as the most common form of r following ⟨y⟩
(e.g. “utzskyrari” 37r6; “styr|kíngar” 43r5–6). This might indicate that the
scribe’s preferences have evolved over time and that some time passed be-
tween hand E writing in the first half of the manuscript and in the second
half.36
Finally, codicological features also indicate that the Stowe-bifolium
could have been a part of Reynistaðarbók. The general appearance and
size of the bifolium and the layout of its text is very similar to AM 764 4to
and AM 162 m fol.37 The bifolium has a total of ten intials illuminated in
a single colour, alternating between red and green, similar to what we find
on fols 4bis–11 and 32–34 in AM 764 4to. There are forty lines of text per
side in 980. The most common number of lines per full-size page in AM
764 4to and AM 162 m fol. is forty-one,38 but on folios 32–37 in AM 764
35 According to Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir, “Universal History,” 23, only hand E makes use of
⟨q⟩ in native words. This is not quite accurate as hand I also uses ⟨q⟩ in native words, e.g.
“quediunní” 36r21 and “quedia” 36r27.
36 Other features that the scribe of 980 shares with hand E in 764 include the diphthongisa-
tion of /e/ before /ng/ and the spelling ⟨ath⟩ for að.
37 Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020–
2021, I have been unable to measure the exact size of the leaves of Stowe MS 980 and com-
pare them with AM 764 4to. For this same reason I have had to rely on pictures provided
by the British Library for the edition of the text.
38 Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir, “Universal History,” 13.