Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1943, Qupperneq 75

4i
in Kristiansstad in Skåne where he died during the plague in 1654.
Runolfur Jånsson is best known for having written the first Icelandic
grammar, but was also interested in mathematics and the natural
Sciences1 *.
— 245. The error here referred to in HR occurs in Hondius
in the beginning of § 2.
— 2411. In Arngrimur Jonsson we only have the determination
of the situation of Hålar; the latitude of Skålholt given in HR must
therefore no doubt be due to the calculations of Bishop Brynjolfur
on the basis of the latitude of Holar; and as a matter of faet his
result is more than half a degree too high.
— 2412. Mercatoris prior editio is no doubt the edition of 1595,
where the figures in question are given.
— 2417'22. This paragraph actually belongs to § 2. See above,
P- 39-
— 2423'31. The sizes given by Arngrimur Jånsson occur in Brevis
comm. p. 1 or (the circumference is stated to be 144 milliaria) and
in Crymogæa p. 16 (where the 144 milliaria are stated to be = 288
German miles). The explanation in HR of the various measurements
in Arngrimur and Hondius is rather unintelligible; apparently the
meaning of it is that Arngrimur has reckoned the longitude of the
country from “Fuglebierig” to Langanes, while foreign navigatørs
have reckoned it from “Fuglebierig” to Eystrahorn. Arngrimur,
however, says nothing about the longitude of the country, but he
regards Låtrabjarg (Bjargtangar) as the westernmost point of Ice-
land (Crymogæa p. 16), and this headland is called Vogelbergh on
Joris Carolus’ map of 1626 (see A. A. Bjørnbo and C. S. Petersen,
Anecdota cartographica septentrionalia, 1908, facs. II and pp. 12-
13) and on other maps from the 17th century. There can be no
doubt, therefore, that “Fuglebierig” here is meant for Låtrabjarg.
Bishop Brynjolfur gives the Icelandic place-names Danicised forms,
evidently out of consideration for Danish readers of the treatise (cf.
also the Danish translation p. 314).
§ 4. Both bishops emphasise the salubrity of the climate; the
north country man borlåkur Skulason of course stresses the faet that
1 See Jon Halldårsson, Skolameistarasogur, 1916-22, p. 196; E>orv. Thorodd-
sen, Lfrs. II 71-72 (= Gesch. II 76-77).