Gripla - 2021, Blaðsíða 160

GRIPLA158
Even more interestingly, Belgsdalsbók contains the most substantial
excerpts from Grágás beyond the Kristinna laga þáttr that have been pre-
served outside of the two main manuscripts of that text (Konungsbók and
Staðarhólsbók).25 The excerpts comprise 30 chapters which follow directly
without any new rubric about the older Christian Law of Iceland, suggest-
ing that the scribe of Belgsdalsbók thought that those chapters concerned
Christian law. As we shall see, at least some of their contents are indeed
closely related to ecclesiastical concerns. The texts of the excerpts are gen-
erally closer to the text of Staðarhólsbók than to Konungsbók, although
Belgsdalsbók also contains a few unique phrases that appear nowhere else.
One may divide the thirty excerpts from Grágás into five thematic sec-
tions. The first one (chapters 38–44, using the numbering of the manu-
script which is reproduced in the edition) deals with marriage law, particu-
larly the rules about separation and against marrying a relative through
blood or marriage. Four of the six chapters in this section mention the role
of the bishop, suggesting perhaps that the selection was made for a bishop.
A second, short section (45–47) contains the basic rules of inheritance ac-
cording to Grágás. The third section (48–55) returns to marriage law, now
dealing with various topics, such as abduction, rape, and who has the right
to decide whom a woman should marry. The fourth section (56–61) is ex-
cerpted from Vígslóði and is primarily concerned with who has the right
to prosecute a killing. The final section (62–66) deals with prices and right
measures. A single chapter (67) on fasting follows.
It is difficult to discern any obvious single rationale behind this selec-
tion, which however is scarcely random. Some of the chapters, but far
from all, supplement and elaborate the rules in Jónsbók and Bishop Árni’s
Kristinréttr, while others introduce less stringent, or outdated, rules than
those found in those more recent law books. For example, chapter 49 in
Belgsdalsbók first outlines when in the church year marriages may not
be celebrated. The rules are practically identical to those that appear in
chapter (19) of Árni’s Kristinréttr, so one may well wonder why anyone
considered it necessary to enter them twice in Belgsdalsbók? Chapter 49
continues with rules for what makes a marriage valid, stipulating that at
least six men must be at the wedding and that the bride and groom openly
25 Grágás: Islændernes lovbog i fristatens tid udgivet efter det Kongelige bibliotheks haandskrift, ed.
Vilhjálmur Finsen (Copenhagen: Det nordiske Literatur-Samfund, 1852), 93–146.