Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2010, Side 61

Zum Empfånger der Flateyjarbok
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leaves, which he added at the beginning of that part of the manuscript which
Jon had previously written, as well as on the page which Jon had left empty
at the front of his first gathering. In other words, Magnus added the preface
and the columns 1—10 in front of Jon’s part. In column 10 Magnus wrote i.a.
a list of the kings of Norway, and at the end of this line of kings the descent
of King Olåfr iv Håkonarson is traced back to Haraldr Finehair and the year
of writing is mentioned. Here it States: “Hann [i.e. Olafr Håkonarson] var J>å
konungr, er sjå bok var skrifuh. Få var lihit frå higatburS vårs herra Jesu Cristi
.m.ccc.lxxx. ok .vij. [i.e. 1387] år.” Following the list of kings, Magnus added
a very brief chapter at the bottom of the column, relating the disappearance
of Olåfr Håkonarson, the accession of Queen Margaret and the arrest of
Albrecht m of Mecklenburg, King of Sweden.
King Olåfr Håkonarson died on the 3 August 1387, Margaret was elec-
ted regent of Denmark a week later and regent of Norway on 2 February
1388; Albrecht of Mecklenburg was captured on 24 February 1389. Magnus
Porhallsson therefore wrote this addition at the earliest in the summer of 1389
but scarcely later than 1390, since Erik of Pomerania, who acceded as king
in Norway in the autumn of 1389, is not mentioned. Furthermore, the annal
Flateyjarannall at the end of the book appears to be written as a continuous
sequence up until 1390, with the annal entries for 1391—1394, however, added
piecemeal during those years.
2. Despite these determinants of its age in the book itself, scholars have
challenged the testimony of Magnus Porhallsson that 1387 was its year of
writing, and the suggestion of Gustav Storm has persisted, that Jon PorSarson
originally only intended to compile a book on the two Olåffs, the christian-
ising kings Olåfr Tryggvason and Olåfr Haraldsson, but had left the work
unfinished upon his departure for Norway in the summer of 1388. Icelandic
philologist Olafur Halldorsson is of the same opinion, and adds that the
intention would have been to present the book to King Olåfr iv Håkonarson,
as in his opinion is indicated by Jon PorSarson’s epilogue to Eiriks saga
vidfgrla. His opinion is accepted by scholars Stefanie Wiirth, Julia Zernack
and Elizabeth Ashman Rowe.
If the epilogue to Eiriks saga vidfgrla is examined more closely it turns out
not to make any special reference to the two christianising King Olåffs which
would give reason to assume that Flateyjarbok had originally been intended