Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1980, Page 39
III
A Note on the Creeds in the Icelandic Homiliu-Bok
The Norwegian and Icelandic translations of the Apostles’ Creed and
paraphrases of it have not hitherto been the object of a systematic
study (and this certainly does not pretend to be one). The oldest
witnesses are found in the Icelandic Homiliu-Bok c. 1200.1
1
The first of these texts, Homiliu-Bok, ed. pp. 145 sq. (f. 67rv), see
Plates 8-9, is a creed enlarged to contain a description of the life of
Christ, of the kind which German editors describe as ‘Gemeinde-
Symbol’. A translation of this text may be welcomed by the reader
who is not familiar with Old Icelandic:
(1) I believe in God, Father Almighty creator of heaven and earth and
creator of the whole creation.
(2) I believe in his only son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit and bom of the Virgin Mary to this world, both God and man.
(3) I believe that he grew up in this world as all other men, (but) without
sin.
(4) I believe that he fasted 40 days and nights in one and that he endured
temptation by the de vil.
(5) I believe that he wrought all kinds of miracles as is said in the Gospels.
(6) I believe that he was betrayed and captured, because he willed it so,
bound and scourged and spat upon and mocked.
(7) I believe that he suffered under the jarl Pondus Pilatus.
1 Homiliu-Bok. Islåndska homilier efter en håndskrift från tolfte århundradet. Ed. T.
Wisén (Lund 1872); Homiliu-Bok. Perg. 4to no. 15 in the Royal Library Stockholm.
Intr. by F. Paasche = CCI 8 (1935); A. van Arkel-de Leeuw van Weenen, The
manuscript Sthm. Perg. 15 4°. A diplomatic edition and introduction (Utrecht 1977)
(typescript edition).
For a survey of the Norvego-Icelandic vernacular homilies with bibliography of text
editions and textual studies, see T. Knudsen, article ‘Homiliebøker’: KLNM 6, 657-66.