A. How to refer to mss by using sigla

Note that paper manuscripts are distinguished in these lists by the placing of a « after the siglum in question (in ReykholtTimes 2.2 and later as a left guillemot, [opt]-\ on Mac (US) and [alt]-0171 in Windows). Please also note the following abbreviations apply to manuscript descriptions:

fol not fol.; 4° not 4to; 8° not 8vo; etc. Note that ° is the degree sign ([opt]-[shift]-8 on Macintosh computers, Windows [alt]-0176); do not use superscript letters.

Note also that ONP manuscript sigla insert a space between distinct parts of a shelfmark (e.g. AM 757 a 4°, not AM 757a 4°). These spaces must be retained.

There are four possible methods of referring to manuscripts (or, in a few cases, early printed sources) of skaldic verse.

1.      The first method is when the manuscript in question appears in List A below. List A gives abbreviated sigla for some of the most important manuscripts that contain skaldic poetry.

List A. Sigla for some of the main manuscripts

I                  AM 122 a fol (Ip«: paper copies)

II                 AM 122 b fol (IIp«: paper copies)

A                AM 748 I b 4°

Ágr             AM 325 II 4° (Ágrip)

B                 AM 757 a 4°

Bb               Bergsbók, Holm perg 1  fol

Bæb            Bæjarbók (á Rauðasandi), AM 73 b fol

C                 AM 748 II 4°

E                 Eirspennill, AM 47 fol

F                 Codex Frisianus, AM 45 fol

Flat             Flateyjarbók, GKS 1005 fol

FskB           Fagrskinna (B), OsloUB 371 fol«

FskA           Fagrskinna (A), AM 303 4°«

G                Gullinskinna, AM 325 VIII 5 c 4°

H                Hulda, AM 66 fol

Hb              Hauksbók, AM 371, 544 and 675 4°«

Hr               Hrokkinskinna, GKS 1010 fol

J                  Jöfraskinna, AM 37 and 38 fol«

K                Kringla, Lbs frg 82, AM 35, 36 and 63 fol«

Kb              Ketilsbók, AM 453 4°«

M                Möðruvallabók, AM 132 fol

Mb              Melabók, AM 445 b 4°

(part of Pseudo-Vatnshyrna: AM 445 c I 4° and AM 564 a 4°)

Mork          Morkinskinna, GKS 1009 fol

R                 Codex Regius of Snorra Edda, GKS 2365 4°

St                Sturlubók, AM 107 fol«

Sk               Skarðsárbók, AM 104 fol« (main ms.)

T                 Codex Trajectinus, Traj 1374«

Tóm            Tómasskinna, GKS 1008 fol

U                Codex Upsaliensis, DG 11

W                Codex Wormianus, AM 242 fol

Þb               Þórðarbók, AM 112 fol« and AM 106 fol«

2.      The second method of citing manuscripts is as shown in List B. List B gives abbreviated sigla, developed by Tarrin Wills, for manuscripts containing skaldic verse neither in List A nor amenable to the abbreviating process described in paragraph 3 below. In List B the standard siglum appears in the left-hand column, with the abbreviated siglum on the right. The reason that the mss in List B cannot be subjected to Method 3 is that, if it were applied, the resulting abbreviated sigla for these mss would not be unique.

List B.  Abbreviated sigla for manuscripts altered to ensure uniqueness

Adv 21 3 17«                 Adv«

AM 37 fol«                    J1«

AM 38 fol«                    J2«

AM 109 fol«                            109 fol«

AM 110 fol«                            110 fol«

AM 395 4°«                   395 4°«

AM 158 8°«                   158 8°«

AM 194 8°                    194 8°

AMAcc 18«                    AMAcc18«

DG 8                             DG8

DG 8 II                          DG8 II

DG 10                           DG10

Holm papp 1 fol«           papp1«

Holm papp 18 fol«                   papp18«

Holm papp 4 4°«            papp4«

Holm papp 6 4°«            papp6«

Holm papp 8 4°«            papp8«

Holm papp 10 4°«          papp10«

Holm papp 17 4°«          papp17«

Holm papp 20 4°«          papp20«

Holm papp 52 4°«          papp52«

Holm papp 3 8°«            papp3«

Holm papp 11 8°«          papp11«

Holm perg 1 4°              Holm1

Holm perg 2 4°              Holm2

Holm perg 4 4°              Holm4

Holm perg 18 4°            Holm18

Holm perg 10 8°            Holm10

Holm perg 10 VI 8°       Holm10 VI

Holm perg 10 IX 8°       Holm10 IX

ÍB 138 4°«                      ÍB138«

ÍB 13 8°«                        ÍB13«

ÍB 71 8°«                        ÍB71«

ÍB 165 8°«                      ÍB165«

ÍB 180 8°«                      ÍB180«

JS 28 fol«                       JS28«

JS 36 4°«                        JS36«

JS 43 4°«                        JS43«

JS frg 5«                         JS5«

JS frg 6                          JS6

Lbs 146 4°«                    Lbs146«

Lbs 437 4°«                    Lbs437«

Lbs 756 4°«                    Lbs756«

Lbs frg 1                       frg1

Lbs frg 5                       frg5

Lbs frg 6«                      frg6«

Lbs frg 82                     frg82

NRA 52                         NRA52

NRA 53                         NRA53

NRA 54                         NRA54

NRA 57                         NRA57

Rask 36«                        Rask36«

Rask 99«                        Rask99«

SÁM 2                           SÁM2

WolfAug 9 10 4°           Wolf

Þjms frg I«                     frg I«

Þjms frg II«                    frg II«

Þjskjs varia I 9               varia I9

3.      If the manuscript in question appears neither in List A nor in List B, editors should develop an abbreviated siglum for it using the following formula:

• remove the collection name (e.g. AM) and designation of ms size (e.g. fol)

• remove any space between the first arabic numeral and any component before or after it which is not an arabic numeral

• retain all other spaces.

Editors are encouraged to cross-check their procedures with the lists of manuscript sigla on the skaldic web site, and in any case to consult with their Volume Editor(s) and Tarrin Wills about the sigla they intend to use (see also § B. How to use manuscript sigla when editing, below).

Examples of procedures having recourse to Methods 1-3 appear below (with abbreviated sigla in round brackets):

AM 61 fol (61)                       [collection and size omitted]                                  Method 3

GKS 1005 fol (Flat)                [from List A]                                                     Method 1

UppsUB R 704« (R704«)          [collection name omitted, space removed]                 Method 3

AM 325 D 1 4° (325D 1)        [collection name, size & 1 space removed]                  Method 3

Holm papp 6 4°« (papp6«)       [abbreviated from List B]                                             Method 2

AM 158 8°« (158 8°«)              [abbreviated from List B]                                             Method 2

4.      There will be some cases in which editors need to cite manuscripts (or printed sources) that are not in ONP Registre, either because they are post-medieval or are printed sources. In this category also come runic texts, where an edition must be cited as the primary source, unless the inscription is unpublished. If there is a standard siglum for sources of this type, please use it, but first consult the relevant Volume Editor and Tarrin Wills to check suitability.

References