Editiones Arnamagnæanæ. Series A - 01.06.1997, Blaðsíða 61
LIX
Mírmanns saga in 4859 is also derived from Þorsteinn Björnsson’s book,
namely from 181 g, as far as the older part of this extends, i.e. as far as f. 10,
text A 1 '-2494 (see p.xxvi). For this part 4859 is secondary, but for the ending
it is primary and is printed in this edition as text E (see p.cxLVi).
An indication that the text in 4859 is derived from 181 g is seen in the first
sentence, ‘A allda dpgumm clementz paua j Rö|ma borg Ried Nordur þar fyr-
er Fracklande Agiáétur kongur sa er’ etc, which has the same characteristic ex-
pressions as 18lg. Another is that it has the extra chapter division at A 422. (It
corrects the later simple numbering mistakes however.)
Except where it introduces an innovation of its own, 4859 reproduces the
variants of 181 g with only insignificant exceptions. A list is given on pp.xxxvi-
xxxvii of the main innovations in 181 g compared with S6, and 4859 has exactly
the same reading in almost all instances. The following points may be noted:
I. 7 4859 has Angenga
7.13-14 4859 has bref
7.21 4859 has the three words, but they are deleted by underlining and round
brackets
8.18 4859 omits bunir, which is an obvious mistake, a repetition of the wordfrom
earlier in the sentence
9.24 4859 has einu (guided by the sense)
II. 48 4859 has og mátti þad þá skaplijktt kalla (afurther innovation)
11.82 It can be seen in 181g that some text is missing, and 4859 has made good
the omission with og reid framm j mote Myrmant. Myrmant reid. This is the
right sense, but it does not get back to the wording ofS6.
In the second part of the saga, now missing from S6, the readings of 18 lg are
often quoted in the textual apparatus of this edition; some of them will have
been in S6, many not. On pp.XLi-XLii above, there is a list of readings of 18Ig
not quoted in the apparatus which are shown to be innovations in 181 g by the
fact that the other manuscripts thought to be derived from S6 agree with each
other and probably therefore retain the S6 reading. 4859 follows 181 g in its
readings in both categories. Taking the list on pp.XLi-XLH as an illustration,
4859 varies from 18Ig in only the following completely insignificant ways:
13.1 4859 has komu for koma
15.5 4859 has sagdi for seiger, omits til tijda, and has þegar for þá
16.13 4859 has sterkaste for styrkasti
16.17-18 4859 adds hann after er
22.41 4859 adds mikill after og
For the sake of completeness, it should perhaps be mentioned that in two in-
stances in the list (161718, 24"), 4859, while reproducing the reading of 181 g