Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.06.1936, Síða 13

13
would seem, therefore, that Magnússon’s informant must
have been well acquainted with the country thereabouts;
and Árni himself writes in his MS that, according to
this man’s account, Grímsvötn lie' ) ”to the north-west
of Skeiðarárjökull“. The name was still known, at least
in the surrounding districts, and the lakes were looked
on as a centre of volcanic activity which was still active.
But it must be observed that the accounts of the position
of Grímsvötn seem to be very vague at the time when
Magnússon wrote them down. (cf. 14.)
Grímsvötn are often mentioned elsewhere in Icelandic
writings, but the reference is always taken from one or
the other of the above authorities.
Various scholars of more r.ecent times have inclined
to the belief that Grímsvötn are identical with Græna-
lón. This, for instance, is the opinion of Sveinn Pálsson
when writing about the eruption in Laki in 1783. In
Sveinn’s manuscript (15) which was written in 1794,
there stands the following1 2): — ”Perhaps the eruption
occurred at Grænafjall, or at the lakes called Grímsvötn
nearby, in which the river Núpsá, which is the chief feeder
of the lake Núpsvatn, is said to have its source". On the
map which accompanies this article of Pálsson’s the real
Grænalón is marked under the name of Grímsvötn. Yet
Sveinn Pálsson seems to have changed his opinion on the
subject, for he later calls this lake by its proper name
of Grænalón; but as for Grímsvötn, he says that they do
not seem to be mentioned in many other places than the
Fitja chronicle, and that3) ”Few people nowadays can
say for certain wher.e these lakes are“. (16). Thorodd-
sen accepts Pálsson’s first conjecture, and considers it
probable that it is correct (1, 2). Björn Gunnlaugsson
1) ”fyrir vestan og norðan Skeiðarárjökul“.
2) ”Maaske har denne Ild brændt ved Grænafjall eller den
derved beliggende Indsö Grímsvötn, hvorfra Núpsaaen, der for-
nemmelig danner Núpsvandene, har efter Beretning sit Udspring“.
3) ”Fáir munu nú á dögum sagt geta með sanni, hvar vötn
tessi liggja“.