Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1991, Side 111
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AM 238 fol. X consists of 2 separate leaves written in the same hånd.
The two leaves most probably belonged to the same manuscript. Fol.
lr-v contains a fragment of Ambrosius saga. The text corresponds to
pp. 3412-3920 in Hms I; variants from AM 238 fol. X are given in the
textual notes. Fol. 2r and the first column of 2v contain a fragment of
Mathias saga postola corresponding to pp. 77515-7764 5 *, 776S0-77710,
77734-77816 in Postola sogur (Christiania, 1874); Unger gives variant
readings from the fragment in his textual notes. The Gregorius saga
fragment is found on fol. 2v, i.e. the second column.
The first leaf of AM 238 fol. X is fairly well preserved except for a
few holes in the vellum. The second leaf is torn and only the top half of
the leaf is extant. Fol. 1 has 40 lines in each column (except for the
second column of 1 r, which has 41 lines); fol. 2 has only the top 18 lines
on each side. Moreover, 4 words in the middle of the fifth line of the
second column of 2v (Gregorius saga) have been erased.
The fragments in AM 238 fol. X are by Kålund dated to the
fourteenth century. Nothing is known about the provenance and
history of fol. 1; about fol. 2 it is known from an attached note written
by Årni Magnusson that he obtained it in 1721 from Gubmundur
Steinsson, schoolmaster at Holar.4
The two leaves are written in a clear and legible hånd. About the
palaeography the following points may be noted:5 Only the so-called
two-storey a is found; the top-storey is usually a closed loop. The e is
either open (gv6e [2vb7]) or closed (let [2vb2]); the former type is the
more common. d and/are written with the insular type. The g is like an
o with the upper part closed and the descender consisting of a vertical
stroke; at the bottom a horizontal stroke crosses the descender. In a
few instances the horizontal stroke of the g has a twist at the end (e.g.,
ga/m [lra23], gv5i [2rb6], dag[2vbl8]). The second vertical stroke of the
h always goes below the line. The right-hand minim of m and n usually
sits on the line; exceptions are e.g., orhintz (lval 7), brotin (2vbl3), and
enn (2vbl5). r rotunda is used after b, d, d, o, andp\ elsewhere minus-
4 Kr. Kålund, Katalog over Den Arnamagnæanske håndskriftsamling I [Copenhagen,
1889], p. 201. For biographical details about Gubmundur Steinsson (1698/9-1723) see
Påll Eggert 6lason, Jslenzkar æviskrdr 2 (Reykjavlk, 1949), pp. 183-184.
5 The analysis of the palaeography and orthography is based primarily on 2vb,
though supplemented with examples from l-2va.