Manuscript Contents

Sagas in Icelandic

Title page (1r):

Ein
Marg[f]rood og merkeleg
Sagna Book
Inne halldande
Margar [a] he[v]relegar
og Af Bragds wænar
Book søgur.
Þeim til Jnndælis og Eptt-
er tektta sem þeßu helldur
Enn ødrum oþarfare hien
Doma hlyda nennꜳ.
Nu ad Niju Ritud af
Joone þördarsyne ad forlæ-
ge Virdulegs hø-
fdingia:
Magnusar Jönßonar ad
Wigur
A ysafiardar Diwpe
Anno
M DC LXXX.

Table of Contents (1v):
Jnnehalld Bökarinnar
I. Tröjumanna S(aga)
II. Magus Jalls S(aga)
III. Orkneijinga – S(aga)
IV. Octoviani – – S(aga)
V. Addonij. – – – S(aga)
Note: Written by Magnús Ketilsson.

1. Trójumanna saga (2r–66r)

Rubric: Hier hefur Troiu Manna saugu fra Vpphafe Til Enda og so huørninn Troia hin vollduga borg var af gryckiumm Vnninn og Jnn tekinn frä vpp hafi veralldar þä lidinn voru 2782 Aar, þa Abdon var Doomari hiꜳ Jsraels Lijd. @
Incipit: PELias hefur kongur heited hann bio J kongs Rijke þui er Tessalia heiter, broder atti hann er Eson hiet, Eson var suo lærdr vel og elle mödur so naum lega var hann sialf fær, þess vegan lagdi hann Rijke sitt i valld frænda sijnum Pelias, med allre stiörn sinne
Explicit: Enn vmm Helenu Drottningu er þad Ad seigia þött hun være Til nada Tekinn, Af sijnumm farra herra Menelao könge, þa helldur þo |66r|

Einn hlutur Ritninga Meystara, Ad Helena Drottning være heingd vid bi-
ørk eina ä Eynne Rödiss og hafe hun suo Lijf läted, hørmulega.
Suo hefur nu bardage þesse sorglegur vered Jafnvel þe-
im Gryckium siälfumm, suo sem Troiu mønnumm,
Vpptøkenn l[ÿ]tel, framm dratturinn mædu saml-
egur, og haska fullur, og suo fein-
ged vmm sijder Eirn hør-
mulegann og sorgar
fullann Enda.
Grycker fiella Atta hundrud þusunder sex og
Atta Tijü þusunder. Enn Af Trooiu mønnu-
mm hundrad þusunder sex og sextyiu
þusunder. Þatt ad Auk sem Dreped
var þä borgenn var Jnntekenn. su-
mma Allra. Fimtän hundrud
þusunder, þar til Tuæ̈r
Og sextyiu þusu-
nder.
Hector Drap Atiän konga, Paris fiöra
Eneas Tuo, Achilles x. konga.

Colophon: 1679
Note: The date is enclosed in an ink drawing, described below.
Note: Fol. 66v is blank.

2. Mágus saga jarls (67r–101v)

Rubric: Hier byriazt sagann af Maguse Jarle og þeim Amunda sonumm

2.1. Part 1 (67r–84v)

Rubric: Cap I.
Incipit: Jatmundur hefur keysare heited, hann Riede fyrer Saxlande, þui var hann ei suo vinsæll sem ætla munde, ad hann var metnadur madur mikill, suo honum þötte eckjrt til Jafns vid sig koma, J þrötta madur var hann suo mikill ad honum stodst einginn, enn ä tafle hafde hann þo mest metnad.
Explicit: og Drou þau hann vmm alltt Saxland, og var þat hans lijflät, Ellindur Vbba son og þeir Adalvardur voru land varnar men keys. og fieck hann huøru tueggiu sæmeleg quon faung. Og Endar hier hinn fyrra þaatt Maagus saugu.
Colophon: Anno M. DC LXX.IX. þann xii. Octobris.

2.2. Part 2 (85r–101v)

Rubric: Annar þꜳttur Mägus saugu.
Rubric: Cap. I.
Incipit: Heinrekur hefur köngur heited, hann Ried fyrer Einglande, hann var son Adalvards Vilhialmsonar, hann var Rijkur og stör lätur, hann ätte sier Tuo børn. son hans hiet Laais, Enn þöra Dottur. Läis var grimmer og hardur
Explicit: Enn i þan tijma er þeir Wilhiälmur |101v|

Og kyrialax stijrdu Rijkinu, þa kom þar Eyrekur Dana kongur
Brödur Knüts enns helga, og var þar þriä vetur, og þä af
konginum fiøgur skip ferind med gull, og fiortän Lang
skip, Vilhialmur Atte son er karl hiet, og
Doottur er Constantina hiet. og en-
dumm vier suo þessa saugu, med þar
Alijcktar orde, ad herann Jes-
us giefe oss alla Gooda
Dag vtann Enda
A M – E N.

Colophon: Anno 1679. þann 30. October. Endud.

3. Orkneyinga saga (102r–160r)

Rubric: Orkneyinga þattur
Rubric: Cap I.
Incipit: Olafur kongur haralldz son fieck ongua lyd skylldu af þorfinne Jall sijdann er þeir skylldu eptter satt mäl þeirra brusa Jalls allra samann. Giørdest nu þörfinnur Jall høfdinge mikill, manna mestur ä vøxt, liötur yfer sijdar, svartur ä här, skarpleytur, og nokut skolbrurn
Explicit: er hann giorde eptter Brennuna Biskups J Manna Meydingum og mann Drapu, fiär ränum ok brettu rekstre manna Af landinu. kunnumm. vier Nu Ecke Greine legur at seigia Af þeim Tijdinum Er Til heyra Orkneyinga Jarlum, Enn sett sem vier høfum sagt.
Colophon: Endud sagann ä strandselium Anno 1679. 22. December.
Note: Fol. 160v is blank.

4. Flóres saga ok Leó (161r–205v)

Rubric: Hier Byriast sagann Af Otaviano keysara.
Rubric: Cap. I.
Incipit: A eim Døgumm er köngurinn Daagubertus Rijktte J frankarijke var J Room einn veglegur og Jpparlegur keysare sa er Octavianus hiet. Hann Atte Drottningu Eina sem aa þeim Døgumm var haldenn fyrer þä allra Agiætuztu, hun var allra kuenna frÿdust sijnuminni, og þar eptter var hun J øllumm ødrumm kuennlegum Dygdumm og mann kostumm,
Explicit:

huar af ad þat er komed ad Eingland er fölk rijkara enn ønnur lønd, so og ad øll-
umm ødrumm Giadumm audugar floris kongur för opttlega J frackland til
fundar vid Dagubertz kong, og skypttuzt þeir vid sæme-
legumm Giøfumm, Styrktte huør annann til allra
farsællegra hluta med Räd og Daad,
J elsku og Einfalldleika,
hielldu þeir
sinne Vinättu Alltt til Dauda
Dags. Og Endar hier nu
Søguna Aff Oct-
aviano Key-
sara.

Colophon: ANNO 1680
Note: Flóres saga ok Léo is the uniform title of Octavianus saga keisara, the preferred title in this manuscript.
Note: 54 chapters, all noted in Arabic numerals except ch. 10, in Roman.

5. Adonías saga (206r–235v)

Rubric: Addonius saga byriast hier.
Rubric: Cap. I.
Incipit: Þat hier Vered Lesed J fræde bookumm ad epttur nooa flöd skyptu þeir syner nöa heiminum med sier, Bygde sem Austur alfu og sudur Alfu Veralldar er Heiter Asia, Enn nordur Alfur Bygde Japhet. Chäm þridie son Nöa Bygde veztr Alfu Veralldar. Nöe atte hinn fiörda sonur eptter flöded, þann er Enoch hiet. sa er ecke til þess reyknadur ad nockurn hlut tæke Landanna, og ej eru ættar tølur fra honum komnar
Explicit: Enn Constantinus var hinum tryggur og Trur, i øllum hlutin medann þeir lifdu bäder. Nu er saga þesse komm ä enda, og þar skulum til þagnar Venda, ej-

nginn er von ad hlijde, enn þeir þat giora fäe sæmd og fride, m[00]l þetta vered eg ad skijra, eptter bæn og vilia mijns hlijra, hann monnum er af verda, þo hann lijte hier rædu stirda, lätum þat vera Enda, ad vier fijsanst hier til Guds venda.

Physical Description

Support: Paper
Number of leaves: ii + i + 235 + iii
Flyleaves: First 2 front flyleaves: modern; 3rd front flyleaf: contemporary. Back 3 flyleaves: modern.
Foliation: 18th-century foliation in pen, upper right corner of each leaf, recto side.
Watermark: Yes. Foolscap with four bells and three balls. Best visible on e.g. fol 66.
Collation: The modern binding preserves an earlier, possibly original, quire structure of 20 quires of 6 bifolia each, apart from the 1st and 20th quires:

I: fols 1–8 + 9 + 10 (4 bifolia + 2 singletons)
II: fols 11–22 (6 bifolia)
III: fols 23–34 (6 bifolia)
IV: fols 35–46 (6 bifolia)
V: fols 47–58 (6 bifolia)
VI: fols 59–70 (6 bifolia
VII: fols 71–82 (6 bifolia)
VIII: fols 83–94 (6 bifolia)
IX: fols 95–106 (6 bifolia)
X: fols 107–118 (6 bifolia)
XI: fols 119–130 (6 bifolia)
XII: fols 131–142 (6 bifolia)
XIII: fols 143–154 (6 bifolia)
XIV: fols 155–166 (6 bifolia)
XV: fols 167–178 (6 bifolia)
XVI: fols 179–190 (6 bifolia)
XVII: fols 191–202 (6 bifolia)
XVIII: fols 203–214 (6 bifolia)
XIX: fols 215–226 + 227 + 228 + 229 (6 bifolia + 3 singletons)
XX: fols 230–235 (3 bifolia)

Condition: Good.
Number of hands: 2
Hand 1: Jón Þórðarson (major contribution)
Hand 2: Magnús Ketilsson (minor contribution: fol. 1v only)
Additions: Front inside cover: bottom left corner, in pencil, “113 E.”.
Front flyleaf i (modern): recto, stamped with shelfmark.
Front flyleaf i (earlier but not contemporary – 18th century?): in later hand, “Sógu-bök”, and in pencil, “No 34”.
Fols 18v, 33v, 50v, 71v, 84v, 101v, 124v, 141v, 157v, 178v, 203v, 222v: round red “British Museum” stamp with crown, in the middle of the bottom margin.
Fol. 235v: bottom centre, red rectangular “MUS.BRIT.” stamp, and top left corner in 18th-century hand, “Cons.t. fol: 235”.
Back flyleaf i (modern): verso, blank British Library slip pasted in, “Department of Manuscripts Record of Treatment, Extraction, Repair, etc. of MS no.”.
Back inside cover: stamped with binding date, “13 APR 1973”.
Decoration: Moderate. Running titles throughout the manuscript, as well as decorated initials at new chapters within texts, to varying degrees of embellishment. One of the more elaborate initials is e.g. at fol. 19v: 5 lines high, decorated, in black ink with green and yellow highlights, with vines and a man’s face running into the margin.
Fol. 1r: a title page in yellow-gold, green, blue, brown, and black ink with a coloured knotwork border. The colours on the title page are slightly faded and water-damaged, and are also visible on the verso side.
Fol. 2r: 12-line flourished inital in red ink, following 6-line rubric with 3-line initial in black ink.
Fol. 66r: an illustration in black ink, approximately 5 lines high and centred on the page, encloses the colophon’s date; it features a face above a stylized shield with a decorative border below, scrollwork in the upper corners, and branches crossed over the front. The text above the image also tapers in three sections of 9, 9, and 2 lines each. Similar tapering also appears at the end of texts on fols 101v and 205v.
Fol. 67r: 12-line flourished initial in black ink with gold, green, and blue highlights.
Fol. 85r: 8-line flourished initial in black ink with gold, green, and blue highlights.
Fol. 102r: 8-line flourished initial in black ink with blue and green highlights.
Fol. 160r: a floral, scrollwork drawing in black ink, approximately 2 lines high, is centred under the colophon.
Fol. 161r: 9-line flourished initial in black ink with gold, green, and blue highlights, and enclosed in a square border on the right and bottom sides.
Fol. 206r: 11-line flourished initial in black ink with gold and green highlights.
Fol. 235v: a small black ink drawing resembling a three-leaf clover is centred under the final line of text in the manuscript at the end of the last saga.
Binding: Modern binding from 1973.
Date of origin: 1679–1680
Place of origin: Iceland
Provenance: Commissioned and owned by Magnús Jónsson í Vigur. Later owned by Sir Joseph Banks, who gave it to the British Museum at the end of the 18th century.

Repository: The British Library, London
Collection: Additional Manuscript (Add.)
Shelfmark: Add. 4869
Previous identifier: No. 6 fol. in Páll Vídalín’s collection
Previous identifier: No. 78 in Bjarni Halldórsson’s collection (taxed at 1 rdl.)
Previous identifier: Vol. 13 in Joseph Banks’s collection
Previous identifier: No. 34
Other catalogue descriptions: British Library