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Alleged artifacts |
Flateyjarbók (Icelandic pronunciation:[ˈflaːtˌeiːjarˌpouːk]; "Book ofFlatey") is an importantmedievalIcelandicmanuscript. It is also known asGkS 1005 fol. and by the Latin nameCodex Flateyensis. It was commissioned by the knight and lawspeaker, Jón Hákonarson, and produced by the priests and scribes Jón Þórðarson andMagnús Þórhallsson.[1]
Flateyjarbók is the largest medieval Icelandic manuscript, comprising 225 written and illustrated vellum leaves. It contains mostly sagas of the Norse kings as found in theHeimskringla, specifically the sagas aboutOlaf Tryggvason,St. Olaf,Sverre,Hákon the Old,Magnus the Good, andHarald Hardrada. But they appear here expanded with additional material[2] not found elsewhere (some of it being very old) along with other unique differences. Most—but not all—of the additional material is placed within the royal sagas, sometimes interlaced. Additionally, the manuscript contains the only copy of the eddic poemHyndluljóð, a unique set of annals from creation to 1394, and many short tales not otherwise preserved such asNornagests þáttr ("the Story of Norna Gest").
Especially important is theGrœnlendinga saga ("History of the Greenlanders"), giving an account of theVinland colony with some differences from the account contained inEiríks saga rauða ("History of Eirík the Red"). Here also are preserved the only Icelandic versions of theOrkneyinga saga ("History of the Orkney Islanders") andFæreyinga saga ("History of the Faroe Islanders").
From internal evidence the book was being written in 1387 and was completed in 1394 or very soon after. The first page states that its owner is "Jonn Hakonar son" and that the book was scribed by two priests. One of them, "Jon prestr Þórðar son", scribed the contents from the tale ofEirík the Traveller down to the end of the two Olaf sagas and the other, "Magnús prestr Thorhallz sun", scribed the earlier and later material and also drew the illustrations.
Further material was inserted towards the end of the 15th century.
The manuscript first received special attention by the learned in 1651 when BishopBrynjólfur Sveinsson ofSkálholt, with the permission of KingFrederick III of Denmark, requested all folk of Iceland who owned old manuscripts to turn them over to the Danish king, providing either the original or a copy, either as a gift or for a price. Jon Finnsson, who resided onFlatey ('Flat Island') in the fjord ofBreiðafjörður on the northwest coast of Iceland, was then the owner of the book which was already known as theFlateyjarbók. At first Jon refused to release his precious heirloom, the biggest and best book in all of Iceland, and he continued to refuse even when Bishop Brynjólfur paid him a personal visit and offered him fivehundreds of land. Jon only changed his mind and bestowed the book on the bishop just as the bishop was leaving the region.
The manuscript was given as a present from Bishop Brynjólfur to King Frederick III in 1656, and placed in the Royal Library of Copenhagen. In 1662, the bishop presented the king with a second medieval manuscript, theCodex Regius (Konungsbók eddukvæða). It andFlateyjarbók survived theCopenhagen Fire of 1728 and theSecond Battle of Copenhagen in 1807 and were eventually repatriated to Iceland in 1971 as Icelandic national treasures. They are preserved and studied by theÁrni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.
Flateyjarbók consists of the following texts:
Flateyjarbók is currently being translated into English by the Saga Heritage Foundation of Norway. The translator is Alison Finlay, professor of Medieval English and Icelandic Literature atBirkbeck, University of London.[3] A Norwegian edition, translated byEdvard Eikill and comprising six volumes, was completed in 2019.[4]
