Note to Anon Lil 100VII
[All]: See Notes to st. 1. The repetition in Bb of the first two ll. of st. 1, however slap-dash and carelessly written (the word guð is left out) makes it clear that the scribe considered the poem to consist of 100 sts, ending as it began. The other mss may have assumed this to be self-evident. By bringing the written text to a close at st. 99, they leave it to the reader to return to the beginning to complete the poem – a completion that also implies a re-entry and a new beginning – thus emphasizing the theme of perfection and eternity. The textual presentation of Bb, which has become traditional since the end of Middle Ages and is followed here, repeats st. 1 as st. 100 and makes a slightly different impression: the visual impact of the repetition leaves the reader with a sense of stateliness and balance. Rather than being led back into an eternal circle, the reader can step back and regard the concluded poem as a symmetrical triptych or as an open Bible, where the central image of the Cross is framed by those of Genesis and Apocalypse, creation and new creation.
References
- Internal references
- Not published: do not cite (RunVI)