Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2005, Page 33
Observations on Some Manuscripts of Egils saga
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magnæanæ A 13], 1. h., [Copenhagen] 1938, p. 29).10 Another manu-
script in the same hånd, similarly dismembered by Ami Magnusson, is
now distributed between AM 392, 395, and 398 4to.“
Finnur Jonsson assigns 458 to the B-class (EgFJ, introduction p.
xxvm). That is true up to a point, but it does not apply to the whole of
the saga. 458 is made up of six parts12 that can be clearly distinguished
from one another in the book itself:
Part 1 (ff. [l]-[4]vl2 = EgEA I, ch. 1,2-6,37). The beginning of
the saga copied from W. This part ends simultaneously with W f.
27, where a lacuna then occurs in that manuscript.
Part 2 (ff. |4]vl3-[6]rl0 = ch. 7,2-8,19). Copied from M. The
colour of the ink is different (and lighter) than in Part 1. After
line 10 the rest of f. [6]r is empty.
Part 3 (ff. [6]v-[9]v = ch. 8,17-11,26). Copied from an unknown
source. The lower part of f. [9]v is empty. Below the text on this
page there is a cue to the continuation of the story: Hier taka
Hilldi rydar syner adforliuga Porolfvid Haralld kong.
Part 4 (ff. [10]r-[80]vl5 = ch. 12,2-84,44). Copied partly from
W and partly from an unknown source. After the lacuna follow-
ing W f. 27 [see above], the text resumes in mid-chapter at f.
28rl = ch. 11,14 and ch. 12 begins at W f. 28r8. The scribe of 458
has bypassed f. 28rl-7 and only starts using W again at the be-
ginning of ch. 12. From here on it is copied until the beginning of
the large lacuna following f. 53 (458, f. [63]v9 = ch. 70,9), after
10 [Later Jon Helgason himself produced a piece of counter-evidence to this dating of 458,
viz. that its text of HQfudlausn may have been used by Bjom Jonsson å Skarøså in his an-
notated edition of the poem from 1634. See “Hpfublausnarhjal” (as n. 2), pp. 164-65.]
11 [The identity of the scribe of these manuscripts was unknown to Jon Helgason in 1956.
It has since been established that he was the Rev. Jon Pålsson, on whom see inter alia Påll
Eggert Olason, Islenzkar xviskrår III (Reykjavlk 1950), p. 245, and Stefan Karlsson,
Stafkrokar. Ritgerdir [... ] gefnir ut t tilefni af sjotugsafmæli hans (Reykjavlk 2000), pp.
393-97. The hånd remained unidentified by Bjami Einarsson when he wrote the introduc-
tion to EgEA I, see there p. lix, § 4.2.]
12 [In the following analysis references to the folios of 458 have been substituted for the
old pagination followed by Jon Helgason.]
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