2. Orkneyinga saga (Orkn)

Stemma (from ÍF 34, cxxvi; Whaley 1998, 18)

Manuscripts

*Cod. Ac.: Codex Academicus (Icelandic, c. 1250-1300). Vellum ms. that burned in the Copenhagen fire of 1728, but previously had been used for:

a) 332ˣ: AM 332 4°ˣ (c. 1700, in the hand of Ásgeir Jónsson). Copy of *Cod. Ac.

b) 48ˣmarg: AM 48 folˣ, marginalia (end C17th, in the hand of Ásgeir Jónsson). Copy of parts of Flat. The main text has no independent value but the marginal additions and corrections preserve readings from *Cod. Ac.

325I:    AM 325 I 4° (c. 1300).

Flat:      Flateyjarbók, GKS 1005 fol (Icelandic, mainly c. 1387-95). See separate entry.

325III α: AM 325 III α 4° (Icelandic, c. 1300-50). Two vellum leaves.

R702ˣ:  UppsUB R 702ˣ (hand of Magnús Ólafsson (1573-1636)). A collection of stanzas from various sources, including Orkn, with contexts and comments.

762ˣ:    AM 762 4°ˣ. A selection by Magnús Ólafsson from the stanzas in R702ˣ. Used in Skj A, but has no independent value.

SLR:     Worm 1650. Specimen Lexici Runici. A glossary of words and phrases, including over one hundred from Orkn, largely the work of Magnús Ólafsson but published by Ole Worm. The orthography of the mss is not reproduced.

325III β: AM 325 III β 4° (Icelandic, c. 1300). One leaf.

Facsimile and editions: Flat 1930; Orkn 1887, Orkn 1913-16, ÍF 34, Bibire 1988.

The saga, known to medieval scribes as Jarla saga ‘Saga of the (Orkney) jarls’, encompasses disparate materials spanning over three centuries from mythical times to c. 1171. It appears to have been compiled c. 1200, and hence is one of the earlier kings’ sagas, though the extant version is dated to c. 1230. The author is anonymous, likely an Icelander but one familiar with the topography and traditions of Orkney.

Poetry

The early part of Orkn contains little skaldic poetry, and only TorfE Lv 1-5, Ótt Hfl 20 and BjHall Kálffl 8 are edited in this volume; all of these are also preserved elsewhere. Seventy-four further stanzas in Orkn pertaining to events after c. 1035 are edited in SkP II (see p. lxxvi).

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. Worm, Ole. 1650. Specimen lexici runici: Obscuriorum qvarundam vocum qvæ in priscis occurunt historiis & poëtis Danicis, enodationem exhibens. Hafniæ (Copenhagen): Martzan.
4. Whaley, Diana, ed. and trans. 1998. The Poetry of Arnórr jarlaskáld: An Edition and Study. Westfield Publications in Medieval Studies 8. Turnhout: Brepols.
5. ÍF 34 = Orkneyinga saga. Ed. Finnbogi Guðmundsson. 1965.
6. Flat 1930 = Finnur Jónsson 1930a.
7. Orkn 1913-16 = Sigurður Nordal, ed. 1913-16. Orkneyinga saga. SUGNL 40. Copenhagen: Møller.
8. Bibire, Paul. 1988. ‘The Poetry of Earl Rǫgnvaldr’s Court’. In Crawford 1988, 208-40.
9. Orkn 1887 = Gudbrand Vigfusson 1887-94, I.
10. SLR = Worm 1650.
11. SkP II = Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Ed. Kari Ellen Gade. 2009.
12. Internal references
13. (forthcoming), ‘ Unattributed, Orkneyinga saga’ 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=47> (accessed 24 April 2024)
14. Alison Finlay (ed.) 2012, ‘Bjarni gullbrárskáld Hallbjarnarson, Kálfsflokkr 8’ 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. 889.
15. Matthew Townend (ed.) 2012, ‘Óttarr svarti, Hǫfuðlausn 20’ 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. 766.
16. Russell Poole (ed.) 2012, ‘Torf-Einarr Rǫgnvaldsson, Lausavísur 1’ 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. 131.