Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1943, Qupperneq 25

XXIII
furnished on the first point, apart from what has been derived from
Amgrimur Jonsson’s writings, are in great part due to personal
knowledge, while the information in the second group is of course
drawn from literary sources, partly from Amgrimur Jonsson’s works
(especially Crymogæa) and partly directly from manuscript sources.
With respect to the information of the physical facts of the country
a reference to the notes will here suffice; we shall merely point out
that in this field, too, Brynjålfur has an opportunity of showing his
leaming by his quotations from various classics (see e.g. p. 256'9,16,
3230, 33*3415), while borlåkur in the main keeps to his country-
man, Amgrimur Jånsson. Though in itself a small thing, yet it shows
us something about the outlook and attitude of the two bishops. A
growing interest in the phenomena of nature is noticed in several
persons of the time, in Iceland too, and it was encouraged by Ole
Worm in all those with whom he came in contact. Thus Worm had
had some correspondence with Bishop Brynjolfur about the narwhale,
cf. § 9 and notes. Bishop Brynjolfur had already in his comments on
Saxo, which Stephanius used in Notæ uberiores, touched upon
various questions relating to natural science (see e.g. the notes
to § 8).
With respect to the use of the native historical sources the two
authors are more on a level. Besides Amgrimur Jonsson’s writings
(notably Crymogæa), which are the main sources of both, they have
drawn directly on manuscripts. Referring the reader to the text to
follow, with appended notes, we shall here briefly survey which
writings from the Icelandic medieval litera ture they are seen to have
used, disregarding the information that may be derived from Arn-
grimur Jonsson’s writings when it is quoted without the source.
1) Porlakur Skulason:
Landnåmabok (see p. 411).
GuSmundar saga biskups by Abbot Amgrimr (see p. 415 with
note; probably the manuscript AM 398, 4to.).
Snorri Sturluson’s Olåfs saga hins helga (see the note to § 6
and p. 1 o20).
Olåfs saga Tryggvasonar (see the note to p. io16"21).
Konungs skuggsjå (see p. 1226).
2) Brynjolfur Sveinsson:
Landnåmabåk (see p. 2313).