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Reynistaðarbók
''Reynistaðarbók'' (AM 764 4to) is a 14th-century Icelandic manuscript. It is formed of two main parts, the first of which is a universal history; the second is a collection of saints' sagas, miracles, exempla and annals for the years 1328–1372. It is notable for preserving the only known Old Norse-Icelandic translation of the Book of Judith. It also contains the miracles of St Walburga and the last few lines of a miracle of St Sunniva which do not appear in any other Icelandic manuscripts. The texts in the manuscript are drawn from a range of Old Norse-Icelandic translations of Latin works which are heavily abridged. Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir suggests that "the almost relentless emphasis on ''brevitas''" implies that the work was intended for the schoolroom rather than to be read aloud. She also suggests that the focus on Old Testament heroines implies that the work was created as a 'woman's book', suitable for the nuns that would be reading it. History Paleographic and co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Breta Sögur
''Breta sögur'' (Sagas of the Britons) is an Old Norse, Old Norse-Icelandic rendering of Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae, Historia regum Britanniae'' with some additional material from other sources. ''Breta sögur'' begins with a summary of the story of Aeneas and Turnus, derived from the ''Aeneid''. Along with ''Rómverja saga'', ''Veraldar saga'' and ''Trójumanna saga'', it represents the earliest phase of translation of secular works into Old Norse-Icelandic. Versions and manuscripts ''Breta sögur'' survives in two recensions: a longer but poorly preserved version in AM 573 4to and a shorter, abridged version in ''Hauksbók'' (AM 544 4to). Both recensions of ''Breta sögur'' are based on an earlier translation. Because of the poor preservation of these texts and the absence of the original Latin exemplar, it is hard to trace the development of the ''Breta sögur'' from Latin to Old Norse-Icelandic. Because the author of ''Skjöldunga saga'' was familiar wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saints' Sagas
Saints' sagas (Old Norse ''heilagra manna sögur'') are a genre of Old Norse sagas comprising the prose hagiography of medieval western Scandinavia. The corpus of such sagas and their manuscript attestations was surveyed by Ole Widding, Hans Bekker-Nielsen, L. K. Shook in 1963. Their work revealed over 100 different saints' lives, mostly based on Latin sources. Few are of Icelandic saints, with only Jón Ögmundarson (d. 1121), Þorlákr Þórhallsson (d. 1193), and Guðmundr Arason (d. 1237) being candidates. In the words of Jonas Wellendorf: While the sagas of the Icelanders might be the unique contribution to world literature that clearly demarcates Old Norse-Icelandic literature from other literary traditions in the Middle Ages, and indeed other periods as well, the lives of saints connect the very same literature with the rest of Western Europe. These sagas are preserved in many medieval manuscripts. Two notable collections are Kirkjubæjarbók, which is exclusively concer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Icelandic Manuscripts
Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ''Prose Edda'', which is a major source for what is today known about Norse mythology and alliterative verse, and , a history of the Norse kings that begins with legendary material in ''Ynglinga saga'' and moves through to early medieval Scandinavian history. For stylistic and methodological reasons, Snorri is often taken to be the author of ''Egil's Saga''. He was assassinated in 1241 by men claiming to be agents of the King of Norway. Biography Early life Snorri Sturluson was born in (commonly transliterated as Hvamm or Hvammr) as a member of the wealthy and powerful Sturlungar clan of the Icelandic Commonwealth, in AD 1179. His parents were Sturla Þórðarson the Elder of Hvammur (also known as Hvamm-Sturla) and his second ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vitae Patrum
The ''Vitae Patrum'' or ''Vitas Patrum'' (literally ''Lives of the Fathers'') is a collection of hagiographical writings on the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers of early Christianity. Latin tradition The earliest works that came to be part of the ''Vitae Patrum'' were composed in the 4th century, mostly in Greek. Between the 4th and 7th centuries, they were translated into Latin and the collections came to be known as ''Vitae Patrum''. Which works were included under this title varied considerably, and Monika Studer refers to the ''Vitae'' as "a variable corpus of narratives".Monika Studer"''Vitaspatrum'' – A Short Summary" ''Œuvres Pieuses Vernaculaires à Succès'' (2012). The original collection was just a group of the three biographies of desert monks by Jerome.Alexander Y. Hwang, "Vitas (vitae) patrum", in Robert E. Bjork (ed.), ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages'' (Oxford University Press, 2010). The biographies of Paul of Thebes, Hilarion and Malchus of Syr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guðmundar Saga Biskups
''Guðmundar saga biskups'' or ''Guðmundar saga Arasonar'' is an Icelandic bishops' saga, existing in several different versions, recounting the life of Bishop Guðmundur Arason (1161–1237). Since the saga survives in different versions, it is common to speak of it in the plural, as ''Guðmundar sögur'' (rather than ''Guðmundar saga''). History of the versions The first version, known as the ''Prestssaga Guðmundar byskups'', was composed soon after Guðmundur's death in 1237, possibly at the instigation of abbot Lambkárr Þorgilsson (d. 1249). It recounts the bishop's life as a young man and priest but stops abruptly during a description of Guðmundr's voyage to Norway for consecration in 1202. It may therefore be unfinished. However, it is preserved only through its integration into the later ''Guðmundar sögur'' and ''Sturlunga saga''. A series of four sagas about Bishop Guðmundr, known as ''Guðmundar sögur'' A, B, C, and D, were then written between 1314 and 1344, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gyðinga Saga
''Gyðinga saga'' (Saga of the Jews) is an Old Norse account of Jewish history compiled from translations of a number of Latin texts. Beginning with an account of Alexander the Great, Alexander the Great's conquests, it proceeds to cover around 220 years of Jewish history from Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Antiochus IV Epiphanes's accession in 175 BCE to Pontius Pilate becoming procurator of Judaea in 26 CE. The main manuscript source for ''Gyðinga saga'' concludes with an epilogue which attributes its translation into Old Norse to Brandr Jónsson (d. 1264), bishop of List of bishops of Hólar, Hólar. In this manuscript ''Gyðinga saga'' follows ''Alexanders saga'', which is also attributed to Brandr Jónsson. The saga is untitled in all manuscripts; the name ''Gyðinga saga'' appears to date from the 19th century. Árni Magnússon referred to it as both 'Historia Judaica' and 'Historia Maccabees, Macchabeorum'. Etymology ''Gyðinga'' is the Old Norse genitive case, genitive plural o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stjórn
Stjórn () is the name given to a collection of Old Norse translations of Old Testament historical material dating from the 14th century, which together cover Jewish history from Genesis through to II Kings. Despite the collective title, Stjórn is not a homogeneous work. Rather, it consists of three separate works which vary in date and context, labelled Stjórn I, II and III by scholar I.J. Kirby.Kirby, I. J. (1986) Bible Translation in Old Norse, Genève: University of Lausanne, Publications de la Faculté des Lettres XXVII p. 51 Stjórn I covers Genesis to Exodus 18 with much additional material from Peter Comestor and Vincent Beauvais.Kirby, I. J. (1986) Bible Translation in Old Norse, Genève: Université de Lausanne, Publications de la Faculté des Lettres XXVII pp. 52-3 Stjórn II completes the Pentateuch; it is based closely on the text of the Vulgate but is significantly abbreviated. Stjórn III treats Joshua to the Exile with some abbreviation and expansion and uses b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area around Rome, Italy. Through the expansion of the Roman Republic, it became the dominant language in the Italian Peninsula and subsequently throughout the Roman Empire. It has greatly influenced many languages, Latin influence in English, including English, having contributed List of Latin words with English derivatives, many words to the English lexicon, particularly after the Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England, Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons and the Norman Conquest. Latin Root (linguistics), roots appear frequently in the technical vocabulary used by fields such as theology, List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names, the sciences, List of medical roots, suffixes and prefixes, medicine, and List of Latin legal terms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skálholt
Skálholt (Modern Icelandic: ; ) is a historical site in the south of Iceland, at the river Hvítá, Árnessýsla, Hvítá. History Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. A bishopric was established in Skálholt in 1056. Until 1785, it was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees, along with Hólar, making it a cultural and political center. Iceland's first official school, Skálholtsskóli (now Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík, Reykjavík Gymnasium, MR), was founded at Skálholt in 1056 to educate clergy. In 1992 the seminary in Skálholt was re-instituted under the old name and now serves as the education and information center of the Church of Iceland. Throughout the Middle Ages there was significant activity in Skálholt; alongside the bishop's office, the cathedral, and the school, there was extensive farming, a Forge, smithy, and, while Catholicism lasted, a monastery. Along with dormitories and quarters for teachers and servants, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Árni Magnússon
Árni Magnússon (; 13 November 1663 – 7 January 1730) was an Icelandic scholar and collector of manuscripts who assembled the Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection. Early life and education Árni was born in 1663 at Kvennabrekka in Dalasýsla, in western Iceland, where his father Magnús Jónsson was the minister (and later prosecutor and sheriff). His mother was Guðrún Ketilsdóttir, daughter of archdeacon Ketill Jörundarson of Hvammur.Sigurgeir Steingrímsson, tr. Bernhard Scudder, rni Magnússon (1663–1730) - live and work The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. He was raised by his grandparents and uncle. At 17 he entered the Cathedral School in Skálholt, then three years later, in 1683, went to Denmark (with his father, who was part of a trade lobbying contingent) to study at the University of Copenhagen. There he earned the degree of ''attestus theologiæ'' after two years, and also became an assistant to the Royal Antiquarian, Thomas Bartholin, hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
