Editiones Arnamagnæanæ. Series B - 01.10.1965, Blaðsíða 15
XIII
structed language (cf. GC, p. ix). Even if it were always
possible to accept the editor’s decision as to which
variants were significant and which not (cf. GC, p. xi),
it is impossible to get a really clear picture of either of
the main MSS. The text is not always correct. For
example, A has Rodian, not Rorian (GC, p. 16, 1. 11),
Jochim, not Jodim, and Malcheus, not Malides (p. 31,
11. 19-20). The variant apparatus is sometimes misleading
and sometimes wrong. For example, Hann hét Erex
(GC, p. 1, line 11) does not occur in B, and this fact is
of potential importance. The words “saknas i b” (p. 8,
note to lines 6-9) are both misleading and wrong, since
a passage in B which corresponds to Nú—riddara does
occur—but a few lines earlier (cf. p. 7, note to lines
18-9)—and the words Já—hest do have a parallel at this
point in B. Attention is called to other examples in the
description of the MSS. It is furthermore clear that
GC’s evaluation of B and its relation to A needs revision.
The opinion that A and B are copies of the same original
seems based to a large extent on a low estimation of
the scribe of B. There is some evidence available that the
scribe’s poor reputation is not entirely justified (see
description of B), and what we now know about the
probable source of B makes it extremely unlikely that it
and A are copies of the same MS.
The present edition, like GC, is based on A and B but
gives the text of both in unnormalized form on a split
page. In addition, the complete texts of 1230 and 1144
are included here in the Introduction.
ES, because of its origin, should be of interest to
scholars in fields other than Scandinavian. For this
reason I have provided a “translation” which is designed
to follow the Icelandic original (both texts) as closely as
possible and thus provide a control for the unnormalized
orthography. I must emphasize, however, that the transla-
tion is by no means intended to obviate a knowledge of