Hauksbók

Hauksbók ('Book of Haukr'), Reykjavík, Stofnun Árna Magnússonar AM 371 4to, AM 544 4to and AM 675 4to, is an Icelandic manuscript, now in three parts but originally one, dating from the 14th century. Palaeographical evidence allowed Professor Stefán Karlsson, director of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, to date the manuscript to between 1302 and 1310.[1] It is now fragmentary, with significant portions being lost.

Hauksbók is associated with an Icelandic lawspeaker named Haukr Erlendsson: although the work of several scribes, the vast majority is in Haukr's hand.[2] As long back as it is possible to trace the manuscript it has been called Hauksbók after him. Hauksbók is a compilation that includes Icelandic sagas and a redaction of the Landnámabók. The book contains versions, sometimes the only extant versions, of many Old Icelandic texts, such as the Fóstbrœðra saga, the Eiríks saga rauða, the Hervarar saga and the Völuspá. Haukr tended to rewrite the sagas that he copied, generally shortening them.[3]

In addition, Haukr Erlendsson wrote "Hauk's Annals," which chronicled events of his lifetime and a handbook on Norse law. [4]

The manuscript is the first surviving witness to many of the texts it contains (although in most cases Haukr is known to have been copying from earlier, lost manuscripts). Among these are the section on mathematics called Algorismus [5] and the text of Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks.

Contents

The known contents of Hauksbók are:[6]

AM 371 4to

  1. (1r-14v): Landnámabók
  2. (15r-18v): Kristni saga

AM 544 4to

  1. (1r-14v): encyclopaedic information drawn from various sources, on geography, natural phenomena, and Biblical stories
  2. (15r-19v): encyclopaedic information drawn from various sources, on philosophy and theology
  3. (20r-21r): Völuspá
  4. (22r-33v): Trójumanna saga
  5. (34r): a text called 'Seven Precious Stones And Their Nature'
  6. (35v): Cisiojanus (a versified Latin enumeration for remembering the church festivals throughout the year)
  7. (36r-59r): Breta sögur, including Merlínusspá
  8. (60r-68v): two dialogues between the soul and the body
  9. (69r-72v:9): Hemings þáttr Áslákssonar
  10. (72v:9-76v): Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks
  11. (77r-89v:35): Fóstbrœðra saga
  12. (89v:35-93r:17): Algorismus
  13. (93r:17-101v:24): Eiríks saga rauða
  14. (101v:25-104v:17): Skálda saga
  15. (104v:18-105r:21): Af Upplendinga konungum
  16. (105r:21-107v): Ragnarssona þáttr
  17. (107v): Prognostica Temporum

AM 675 4to

  1. Elucidarius

Editions

Hauksbók is often included as a witness in editions of the individual sagas that it contains. It has been edited as whole in the following:

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Aldur Hauksbókar", (University of the Faroe Islands "Fróðskaparrit" 13. 1964, 114–21)
  2. ↑ http://handrit.is/en/manuscript/view/AM04-0544
  3. ↑ Hauksbók: The Arna-Magnæan Manuscripts, 371, 4to, 544, 4to, and 675, 4to., ed. by Jón Helgason, Manuscripta Islandica, 5 (Copenhagen: Munksgaard, 1960), pp. x, xii, xviii.
  4. ↑ Knut Ødegård. "Hauksbók". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Otto B. Bekken, Marit A. Nielsen, Steinar Thorvaldsen (2010). "Algorismus i Hauksbok" (PDF). Eureka Digital 2-2010. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  6. ↑ http://handrit.is/en/manuscript/view/is/AM04-0371, http://handrit.is/en/manuscript/view/AM04-0544, http://handrit.is/en/manuscript/view/en/AM04-0675.
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