1. Knýtlinga saga (Knýtl)

Stemma (adapted from ÍF 35, clxxxvi)

The class A manuscripts are more complete than class B, which only begins at chapter 22 and appears to have a shortened version of the original text in some places. The A-text was preserved in the lost Codex Academicus (*Cod. Ac., c. 1300).

18ˣ:          AM 18 folˣ. Copy of *Cod. Ac. (c. 1700; by Árni Magnússon). Chapters 3-82 are now missing, but the following copies were made when it was complete:

• a) 20dˣ: AM 20d folˣ (early C18th, partly by Árni Magnússon; Knýtl chs 1-27). Used in Skj A to supplement 18ˣ, but inferior to JÓ 1741 (below).
• b) 873ˣ: NKS 873 4°ˣ (C18th; by Jón Vídalín).
• c) JÓ: JÓ 1741. An edition based on 18ˣ which has been considered superior to the manuscript transcripts of it (ÍF 35, clxxxv).

20b I:      AM 20 b I fol (c. 1300). Nine leaves, in poor condition, from the same exemplar as that of *Cod. Ac.

Flat:         Flateyjarbók, GKS 1005 fol. See separate entry.

Manuscripts: B class

The original vellum is lost.

180b:      AM 180b fol (c. 1400-1500). Chapters 22-88 (19v-34r). Copies of 180b:

                 a) 1005ˣ: AM 1005 4°ˣ (c. 1600-50). Copied in 41ˣ (Holm papp 41 4°ˣ, c. 1687).  Holm papp 41ˣ is used in Skj A, but the copy has no independent value for the poetry in SkP II.

                 b) 1006ˣ: GKS 1006 folˣ (c. 1600-1700). Copied in 19ˣ (AM 19 folˣ, c. 1600-1700).

20b II:     AM 20 b II fol (fragments, three leaves, c. 1300-25).

Editions: JÓ 1741, Knýtl 1919-25, ÍF 35.

Poetry

The sagas in Knýtl with poetry edited in SkP II are those of Sveinn Úlfsson and his sons, Haraldr hein ‘Hone’ Sveinsson, and Eiríkr inn góði ‘the Good’ Sveinsson (see ‘Royal Biographies’ below). These parts of Knýtl contain thirty-six stanzas (Arn Hryn 14/5-8, 15; Þfagr Sveinn 1, 10; Steinn Nizv 6-7; Mark Eirdr 3-30; ESk Lv 3; Anon (Knýtl)). Of these stanzas, only Arn Hryn 14/5-8, 15 are recorded elsewhere (Hryn 14/5-8 in Hkr, H-Hr; Hryn 15 in H-Hr, Flat). All of this poetry was composed by Icelanders (with the possible exception of Anon (Knýtl)), and most stanzas belong to encomia whose remaining stanzas are found in the sagas of the kings of Norway.

[22] For a full discussion of Knýtl, see Introduction to SkP I.

References

1. Bibliography
2. Skj A = Finnur Jónsson, ed. 1912-15a. Den norsk-islandske skjaldedigtning. A: Tekst efter håndskrifterne. 2 vols. Copenhagen: Villadsen & Christensen. Rpt. 1967. Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger.
3. SkP I = Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Ed. Diana Whaley. 2012.
4. SkP II = Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Ed. Kari Ellen Gade. 2009.
5. Internal references
6. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Heimskringla’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=4> (accessed 23 April 2024)
7. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Flateyjarbók’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=44> (accessed 23 April 2024)
8. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Hulda-Hrokkinskinna’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. . <https://skaldic.org/m.php?p=text&i=84> (accessed 23 April 2024)
9. Diana Whaley (ed.) 2009, ‘Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Hrynhenda, Magnússdrápa 14’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 200-1.
10. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Einarr Skúlason, Lausavísur 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 570-1.
11. Jayne Carroll (ed.) 2009, ‘Markús Skeggjason, Eiríksdrápa 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 435-6.
12. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Steinn Herdísarson, Nizarvísur 6’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 364-5.
13. Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Þorleikr fagri, Flokkr about Sveinn Úlfsson 1’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 313.