3. Manuscripts

(See also sections on consultation and prioritisation of mss in >> 3. Towards some editorial principles.)

a. Individual sigla

i. Sigla will take the form shown in >> 6. Sigla for sources A.

ii. Ms. sigla should not be italicised.

† iii. Each siglum will be followed by the folio number (together with ‘r’ or ‘v’ for recto or verso) on which the verse appears, or the page number. If the ms is listed in the ONP Regisre, editors should follow its usage of either page or folio numbers and its numbering. If the ms. is not listed in ONP, the editor should follow the practice adopted in the ms. itself. (Flat is an exception: it is cited in ONP by the ms column numbers, but folio numbers should be used instead in the skaldic edition.) The folio number should be in brackets in order for the ms. siglum to be clearly visible, e.g. FskA^x(43r), 61(40r-v). Mss with columns will also include ‘a’ or ‘b’ for the columns, e.g. Hr(77ra), 122a(57rb-va).

‡ iv. When a ms. text continues on a different folio this should be indicated, e.g., by: F(167vb-168ra).

† v. To refer to a ms that has a set of relatively systematic and complete marginalia from a single identifiable source (e.g. papp22, which has marginalia from AM 39 fol): the marginalia need to be identified by a separate siglum, and the status of the text indicated by the abbreviation ‘marg’ following the main ms. siglum, e.g. 22^xmarg.

b. Order of sigla

i. The siglum for the ms. chosen for the main Text will be placed first and printed in bold.

ii. Ms. sigla will be grouped according to the prose work(s) they represent, which will follow in brackets, abbreviated in accordance with >> 6. Sigla for sources 3, e.g: ‘M(154v), Flat(233-4) (Hallfr)’. Where the prose source is a composite work, the siglum for the compilation, e.g. Hkr or SnE, should be used rather than that of the component work (e.g. Mberf or Skm).

iii. Within groups of mss representing the same prose work, sigla will be ordered according to the stemma (always bearing in mind that stemmata often refer primarily to the prose texts in which verses are transmitted, and that the textual relations of the verse texts may differ).

Where there are established sub-groupings of mss within the stemma, these should be observed in listing the mss.

Where no clear stemma exists, mss may be ordered either by date or by reliability of witness.

iv. Where the verse is cited in mss representing more than one prose work, e.g. in konungasögur and in Snorra Edda, the groups of ms. sigla will be printed in order of textual priority as determined by the editor.

† v. Mss used only intermittently can be added at the end, e.g.

Mss: 566b^x(27r), 142^x(34), (Fbr). Also used selectively: 761b^x(23r), 1149^x(47v), papp4^x(2r)

c. Incomplete texts

Where a verse is preserved as a complete stanza in one or more mss or groups of mss, but incomplete in one or more others, this will be indicated as follows:

i. Where all ms. witnesses to the same work agree in preserving the verse incomplete: K^x(23r), J(65v), F(31vb) (ÓH, Hkr, all ll. 5-8);

ii. Where mss of the same work differ (i.e. complete in some but not others) the note of incompleteness should be attached to each relevant siglum: K^x(23r), J(65v) (ll. 5-8), F(31vb) (Hkr);

iii. Where there is only one ms. of a particular work: 8(22v) (ÓHLeg, l. 1).

d. Differing arrangements of helmingar

i. Where prose sources offer differing arrangements of helmingar into stanzas, this should be noted at the end of the Mss section, starting on a new line. The first and second helmingar according to the base ms. are referred to as a and b, hence whichever of the following formats suits the case should be used:

‘In Fsk, b precedes a’. Or:

‘In Fsk and ÓT, a= 3b, b = 5a’. Or:

‘In Fsk, 3a+4 = stanza, 3b = separate helmingr’.

ii. Other complications can also be noted here, e.g. ‘In Fsk: added in margin by Árni Magnússon’. ‡ See also >> 5´´-t below for the format of these readings in the textual apparatus.

References