5. Manuscripts

a. Individual sigla

i.       Sigla will take the form shown in  >> 5. 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 stanza appears, or the page number. If the ms. is listed in the ONP Registre, 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«(43r), 61(40r-v). Mss with columns will also include 'a' or 'b' for the columns, e.g. Hr(77ra), 122a(57rb-va). # If a verse occurs more than once in a ms., the sigla take the form R(36r), R(37v).

‡ 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«marg.

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 >> 5. Sigla for sources C, 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 stanza 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«(27r), 142«(34), (Fbr). Also used selectively: 761b«(23r), 1149«(47v), papp4«(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«(23r), J(65v), F(31vb) (ÓH, Hkr, 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«(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.       When prose sources offer differing arrangements of helmingar into stanzas, this should be noted by using the line number notation for each ms. or prose source (as it is for versions which only reproduce part of a stanza). For example (fictional):

         81a(105vb) (ll. 5-8, 1-4) [manuscript has helmingar reversed]

         Mork(16v) (Mork); H(68r), 761bx(540v), Hr(49va) (H-Hr, ll. 5-8, 1-4); Flat(208ra-b) (Flat) [Version in H-Hr has helmingar reversed]

The arrangement of helmingar can be also discussed more discursively as a Note on [All], as can other features which cannot be expressed through the above format.

ii.      Where a source includes the two helmingar in different locations (rather than in a different order), a separate ms. entry should be included for each part, e.g.:

         Flat(208rb) (ll. 5-8), Flat(208va) (ll. 1-4).

References