Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2007, Page 44

14
i Introduction
(They chose the Cold-lander [Icelander]
To write out Heimskringla.
I will honour the Swedish lords
Highly - as long as I live.)
(Holm. papp. i8fol, fol. 389^
It is assumed here that the title Kringla heimsins is known. By the
time Peringskiold used it in the editio princeps (1697) the name was
definitively attached to the work. Peringskiold based his edition on Jon
Eggertsson’s transcript and Jon’s poem could certainly have been his
source for the name; but he also made careful use of Peder Claussøn
(1633), so the name could equally well have been borrowed from there.
In his introduction Peringskiold writes that this is the traditional name
for the work and, like Ole Worm, attributes this to the opening words:
Hoge och Gunstige denne Bokens Låsare.
Thesse tre nordiske Konungariken, Sverige, Danmark och No-
rige, åre en stor tacksajelse9 skylldige Islandernas forna Lag-
man och store Skald Snorro Sturlasson, hwilken uti sin
lifstid wid 500 åhr sedan, på wårt hår i Nordlanderne då all-
månt gångse språk, hafwer uti ett wårk sammanskrifwit desse
Konunga Sagor, som elliest åre efter forna seden af sina be-
gynnelse ord kallade Kringla Heimsins ...
(August and auspicious reader of this book.
These three Nordic kingdoms, Sweden, Denmark and Nor-
way, are greatly indebted to the Icelanders’ ancient lawspeaker
and great poet Snorri Sturluson, who during his lifetime 500
years ago, in our language, then spoken throughout the North-
ern lands, compiled in one work these kings’ sagas, which are
otherwise according to ancient custom named after their open-
ing words, Kringla Heimsins ...)
(Peringskiold 1697, introduction, unfoliated)
9 The word tacksajelse is misspelled tacksa-sdjelse because of the line division.