Þórður Jónsson is the first scribe to work for Magnús í Vigur, copying a book of sagas for him in 1654 (Papp. 4to nr 16), though this was most likely under the direction of Magnús’s father Jón Arason, for whom Þórður is also known to have worked as a scribe. Þórður copied manuscripts at several different farms over the course of his career, all of which were under the control of larger farms owned by Magnús or others in his powerful and influential family. Þórður’s colophons in the manuscript just mentioned, and others, indicate that he worked at Skálavík by Mjóifjörður (January–February 1654, March 1660) and Eyri by Skötufjörður (December 1680), both of which were subject to the Vatnsfjörður rectory where Magnús’s father and later his brother Guðbrandur were Lutheran ministers.

In addition to these locations, however, Þórður also carried out his work at two farms subject to Magnús’s farm Ögur: Strandseljar (January 1667, April 1669, March 1672) and Skarð (December 1669–March 1670). The image above shows one of his colophons from Skarð. Alongside a patron-scribe relationship, Þórður and Magnús seem also to have had a landlord-tenant farmer relationship, which may also have been the case when he worked for Jón Arason.

Þórður Jónsson is classified by Jón Helgason as the 8th hand in the manuscript AM 148 8vo. His work can be seen in the manuscripts listed below, some of which he copied almost in full, and others only in part:

1. Add. 4857
2. AM 426 fol.
3. AM 148 8vo
4. AM Steph. 58
5. JS 12 fol.
6. JS 43 4to
7. Papp. 4to nr 16
8. Rask 33

 

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Last updated: 2018-10-08