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He discovered. traces of this reckoning also in Rim I,4 the oldest
extant Icelandic computus. And further, there is an Easter table
ascribed to this Gerlandus in which Beckman saw the model for
the most common Icelandic Easter table. On the basis of this
evidence Beckman suggested that Gerlandus’ computus, although
he had not seen it, was the source for Rim I.
Jon Johannesson5 has reconstructed the introduction of the
Gerlandian reckoning into the Icelandic society. Olafia Einars-
dottir6 has described in detail the chronological systems used in
medieval Iceland, including the Gerlandian. Both of these scholars
have worked on the assumption that Gerlandus is the source of
the Icelandic ecclesiastical chronology, not questioning or seeking
to establish his works as a source in any way. Moreover some con-
fusion has arisen as to which table of Gerlandus was used, and
the point at which the Gerlandian reckoning played a role has
been placed differently without the author taking position to the
studies of the other scholars. Some investigations have appeared
recently which touch on the problems concerning Gerlandus, and
I have had a chance to see a copy of the unedited computus of
Gerlandus.7 All these factors should make it worthwhile to take up
again the problem of the influence of Gerlandus.
4 Rim I is the name given to an Icelandic computus by Kr. Kålund and Nat.
Beckman in the compilation of lore they gathered from various manuscripts
and edited under the name Alfrædi islenzk (København 1908-18). For the raison
d’étre of this edition, see Nat. Beckman, “Rimbegla” in Studier i Nordisk Filologi
4 (1913), p. 19-59. Rim I is found complete in the oldest part of GkS 1812 4to
which is dated to 1200 and believed to be a copy, in AM 625 4to (15th century),
Codex Lindesianus now Manchester Rylands Icel. MS I (dated fol. 90v 1493),
AM 731 4to (17th century) and AM 727 4to (17th century). In all but 727 Rim I
is the only computistic material. The first part of Rim I is found in AM 435 12mo
(16th century) which is an unfinished copy of Lindesianus. Portions of Rim I
are found in AM 186 III 8vo (17th century), AM 624 4to (15th century), AM 252 fol.
(a copy of parts of 1812 from ca. 1700) and AM 461 12mo (16th century). The
chronicle to be diseussed is found in the first three but not in 461.
5 “Timatal Gerlands i islenzkum ritum frå pjo8veldisold”, Skirnir 126 (Reykja-
vik 1952), p. 76-93.
6 Studier i kronologisk Metode i tidlig islandsk Historieskrivning, Bibliotheca
historica Lundensis XII (Stockholm 1964).
7 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Amamagnæan Institute
for financial help towards the trip and the Archief voor Vlaams Kultuurleven