Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1943, Page 76

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northem Iceland is just as habitable as the south, in contradistinction
to the statement of Hondius. RS sees the proof of the healthiness
of the climate in the high intelligence and aptitude for learning of
the people ( !) and in the circumstance that many attain the age of
90 without Consulting a doctor, since such were not found in the
country, but only two surgeons (probably barbers). The double-
edged quality of the argument seems, however, to have struck the
bishop and made him add the dry remark (p. 618) that when there
are no sick people it is not necessary to go to the expense of having
doctors. But the repeated complaints of Bishop borlåkur in his letters
to Ole Worm of his ill health and the want of proper doctors tells
a somewhat different tale. HR, on the other hånd, seizes Hondius’
remark about the northwesterly wind as an opportunity to show off
a little classical learning.
P. 620"23. The allusion is to the plague mentioned in Icelandic
annals (Gottskålks annåll and SkarSsårannåll) under the years 1495-
96, see G. Storm, Islandske annaler indtil 1578, p. 372 and Annålar
1400-1800, I pp. 74-75. Manuscripts of both these annals were at
Hålar at the time of Bishop borlåkur.
256-9. Besides the passages mentioned in the foot note we
may make reference to Vitruv. De architectura I 6, 10 and Pliny
N.H. II 47.
— 2510. Cf. Crymogæa p. 42 and Snorra-Edda’s mention of
Jotunheimar and Hel (e.g. Finnur Jonsson’s edition 1931, pp. 8, 66
et pass.).
— 2516. Theophrastus: De ventis cap. I, 2.
§ 5. Both treatises confute the erroneous contentions of Hondius
point by point and thus in the main contain the same facts. Some
few deviations should, however, be noted.
P. 623-72. The remarks on the growing of com in Iceland show
that Bishop borlåkur knew nothing about agriculture in the country
except from the literature. The com growing wild mentioned on p.
534-36 js lyme-grass (elymus arenarius) the fruit of which had from
olden times been used as human food in Iceland, especially in the
part of the country in question1. The surmise that it is possible to
1 See E>orv. Thoroddsen, Lysing Islands IV, 1922, 211-222.