One of the best known of the mythological lays is Völuspá. It gives a striking picture of paganism by describing events from the history of the world, as if seen in lightning glimpses. Vafþrúðnismál and Grímnismál deal with
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Codex Regius of the Poetic Edda (GKS 2365 4to) is the oldest collection of the Eddic poems and the most famous of all Icelandic books. It was allmost certainly written in the last part of the 13th century from older manuscripts which are no longer extant. The Eddic poems consist of both mythological and heroic lays.
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One of the best known of the mythological lays is Völuspá. It gives a striking picture of paganism by describing events from the history of the world, as if seen in lightning glimpses. Vafþrúðnismál and Grímnismál deal with |
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the same events but in a different way. Hávamál on the other hand is mostly a gnostic poem, conceived as spoken by Óðinn. Other mythological poems tell of episodes in the life of the gods, for instance in Þrymskviða we are told that Þórr was robbed of his hammer by the giant Þrymr so that he set off to the world of the giants, disguised as Freyja, in order to recover it. The subject matter of the heroic lays is the deeds of the valiant hero Sigurðr and the people related to him in some way. Other Germanic peoples have also preserved literary or pictorial accounts of many of these persons, and some of them are based on historical characters, e.g. Ermanaric (Jörmunrekr), the 4th century King of the East Goths and Attila (Atli), King of the Huns (of the 5th century). The oldest Eddic lays have been dated to the 9th century, and it is thought likely that most of them were composed in the last period of paganism, but some not until after the conversion to Christianity. Although many of the Eddic poems are only preserved in Codex Regius, some are also to be found in a surviving fragment of a closely related collection of Eddic poetry which is younger than Codex Regius. Also many verses of the mythical lays are included in Snorri Sturluson's Edda. Völsunga saga is also of textual importance for the Codex Regius since the saga is partly a prose retelling of a number of the heroic lays. The earlier history of the book is not known; but in 1643 it came into the hands of the then bishop of Skálholt, who presented it to the King of Denmark in 1662. It was kept in the Royal Library in Copenhagen, until its return to Iceland in April 1971. More information.
Flateyjarbók (GKS 1005 fol.) |
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is the largest of all Icelandic vellum manuscripts and one of the most splendid. The illuminated initials are drawn in colours and in some cases illustrate the text. It was written by two clerks for Jón Hákonarson, a wealthy land owner in Northern Iceland; the work was completed during the last decades of the 14th century - the last entry in the annals at the end of the book is for the year 1394. The main subject matter of Flateyjarbók is sagas of the kings in Norway, i.e. the sagas of Ólafr Tryggvason (d. 1000), St Ólafr (d. 1030) Sverrir (d. 1202) and Hákon Hákonarson (d. 1263), but there are a number of interpolated episodes from other sagas, including one of the accounts of the discovery of America (GrĪnlendinga Saga), and the Saga of Edward the Confessor. In the late 15th century a further 23 leaves were added to the manuscript, containing a Saga of Magnús the Good and Haraldr Harðráði and a few other pieces so that the book now contains 225 leaves, needing no less than 113 calf skins to make it. Most of the sagas, copied in Flateyjarbók, where |
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written in the 13th century, the classical age of Icelandic saga writing. Most of the material is also contained in other manuscripts, some of wich are older and have preserved a better text. Nevertheless Flateyjarbók contains elements which are not to be found elsewhere; and this is an additional factor which helps to make it one of the most valuable manuscripts of Icelandic literature. In 1647 it was given by Jón Finnsson, who lived on the island called Flatey, to the then bishop of Skálholt, who presented it to the King of Denmark in 1656. It was kept in the Royal Library, Copenhagen, until its return to Iceland in April 1971. More information.
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