Add MS 4857

BANKS COLLECTION. Vol. I (ff. 243). Collection of Sagas, chiefly romantic, made for Magnús Jónsson of Vigr in Isafjörðr in north-west Iceland. 'No. 36' according to a note on f. 1. They were copied for the most part by Thórðr Jónsson in 1669-1670, but ff. 129b-143b were copied by Jón Björnsson in 1690. Viz.:-

(1) 'Sagann af Gøngu Hroolfe': in 26 chapters. Story of Hrólfr, the son of Sturlaugr, a district king in Norway, called Göngu-Hrólfr, because he is too heavy for a horse to carry him a day's journey. The story tells of his fabulous adventures in Russia, and afterwards in England. For other copies of this saga see Add. MSS. 4859, f. 96b; 4863, f. 337; 11117; 11159, f. 2; 11162, f. 51; and 11163, f. 76b. Printed in Fornaldar Sögur Nordrlanda, ed. C. C. Rafn, iii, Copenhagen, 1830, pp. 235-364. ff. 2-27b.

(2) 'Ein Agiäet og føgur historia wmm Kóng Apollonius, i huørre luckunnar og veralldarinnar östøðugleike skrifast, miøg nitsamleg að heira og lesa. Prentud i Kaupmannahafn af Christen Jenssyne Wering Acad. og. Bokþryckiara. Anno 1660'. The story of Apollonius of Tyre: the title corresponds very closely with the Danish one given (without date) by Rasmus Nyerup in Almindelig Morskabslaesning. Copenhagen, 1816, p. 169. The story is preceded by some verses and an introduction. ff. 28-56b.

(3) 'Sagann af Giafa Ref Reyns syne'. An episode from the 'Saga Gautreks Konungs' (Ch. 9-11), relating how cunningly Refr, the son of Reinner, a Norwegian bóndi, gains riches from Gautrek by interchange of gifts, and thus obtains the name of Refr of the Gifts. Printed in Olaus Verelius, Gothrici et Rolfi Westrogothiae regum historia, Upsala, 1664, and again in Fornaldar Sögur, iii, pp. 3-53. ff. 57-60b.

(4) 'Sagann af Saurla hinum sterka': in 19 chapters. Story of Sörli the Strong, a fabulous adventurer in Africa. Two other copies of this saga are in Add. MS. 11108, ff. 116, 139. Printed as No. 10 of Nordiska Kämpa - Dater, ed. E. J. Björner with Swedish and Latin translations, Stockholm, 1737, and again in Fornaldar Sögur, iii, pp. 408-452. ff. 61-74.

(5) 'Sagann af Hálfe Kónge og Hálfs Reckum'. A mythical story of the warriors of Hálfr, a district king in Norway, of their Viking Code, and of their self-devotion in leaping overboard during a storm to save their king. The chapters are not numbered. Another copy of this saga is in Add. MS. 11108, f. 224. Printed as No. 7 of Nordiska Kämpa-Dater, and in Fornaldar Sögur, ii, Copenhagen, 1829, pp. 23-60. ff. 74b-8 lb.

(6) 'Þaattur af Aulkofra'. Narrative of a lawsuit by means of which a certain Þórhallr of Bláskog (in south-west Iceland) reverses the outlawry passed upon him for accidentally burning the woods. He is known by the nickname of Ölkofri, or Ale-Cap, because he serves ale at the Althing. Printed in Nockrer Margfroder Sögu - Þaetter Islendinga, ed. Björn Marcusson, Hólar, 1756, pp. 34-37. ff. 81b-85.

(7) 'Hystoriann af Slisa Hrooa'. Story telling how Hrói the Unlucky enters into a partnership with King Sweyn of Denmark and becomes lucky, and how he outwits three knavish merchants by a stratagem similar to that related in the story of the Greek romance of Syntipas. Printed in C. C. Rafn, Fornmanna Sögur, v, Copenhagen, 1830, pp. 252-266. ff. 85-88b.

(8) 'Lýfsaga Markólfs, og Samtal Þeirra Salomóns kóngs ens wýsa'. A translation from an early jest-book of the story of the dwarf Marcolfus, and the dialogue between him and King Solomon. See R. Nyerup, Almindelig Morskabslaesning, Copenhagen, 1816, pp. 264-267, and J. G. T. Grässe, Lehrbuch einer Literärgeschichte der berühmtesten Völker des Mittelalters, iii, Dresden and Leipzig, 1842, pp. 466-471. ff. 89-96.

(9) 'Þattur af Isleyfe Biskupe'. Narrative of the life of Bishop Isleyfr Gissurarson, first Bishop of Skálholt (1056-1080). Printed by the Legatum Arnae-Magnaeanum in Kristni-Saga, Copenhagen, 1773, pp. 130-141. ff. 96b-97b.

(10) 'Fertrams Saga sem fyrr stýrde Fracklande hinu góda'; in 14 chapters. Story of Fertram and Plato, sons of King Arthur of France and his queen Ingibjörg, telling how Fertram is carried off to India by three black berserkers, and rescued by his brother Plato. ff. 97b- 1 09b.

(11) 'Aefintýr af einum brøgdottum mylnumanne'. Narrative of a knavish miller, which is described at the end as having been translated from the German by Magnús Jónsson of Holt on Önundar-fjörðr in the north-western peninsula in 1663, and revised and copied by Thórdr Jónsson of Skarð on Skötu-fjörðr in the same peninsula on 8 March 1670. This is the same as 'The Master Thief'of Grimm's Hausmärchen, and of Asbjörnsen and Moe's Norske Folke -eventyr. ff. 110- 113.

(12) 'Sagann af Artus Konge edur Herra Jvent': in 14 chapters. An abridged prose translation of the Chevalier au Lion of Chrètien de Troyes, made by order of King Hákon Hákonarson of Norway. Printed, with a text substantially the same, but divided into 16 chapters, in Eugen Kölbing, Riddarasögur, Strasburg, 1872, pp. 75-136. For some account of this version of the Romance see Lady Charlotte Guest, Mabinogion, i, London and Llandovery, 1849, p. 232. See also Samlingar utgifna af Svenska Fornskrift-Sällskapet, ii, Stockholm, 1849, parts 2-4. ff. 113b- 133b.

(13) 'Aefintýr af Greyfa Bertram af Rosilien ok eirne bartskera dottr af Bononien': in 7 chapters. Narrative of Count Bertram of Roussillon, and a doctor's daughter of Bologna. The same as the 9th Story of the 3rd Day of Boccaccio's Decameron, and as the plot of All's Well that ends Well. For the different versions of it see P. O. Bäckström, Svenska Folkbocker, i, Stockholm, 1845, p. 293. ff. 134-139.

(14) 'Aefintýr af einum Meystara'. Narrative of the career of a Master Paul at Paris, telling how he tests the gratitude of two youths. Among the episodes of this tale is the apologue of the three brothers, who all claim to be the sole legitimate heir, and who are directed by the Judge to shoot at the dead body of their putative father (cf. Gesta Romanorum, Cap. 45). An abstract of this tale is given by Gustaf Cederschiöld in 'Eine alte Sammlung Isländischer Aefintýri' in Germania, xxv, Vienna, 1880, pp. 135-136. ff. 139b-143b.

Magnús Jónsson, of Vigr: Collections of sagas made for: 1667-1697.: Icelandic.

includes:

• ff.2-129b Thórdr Jónsson: Copied: 1669-1670.
• ff.2-27b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Sagann af Gongu Hroolfe': 1669.
• ff. 28-56b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: The story of Apollonius of Tyre: 1669.
• ff. 57-60b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Sagann af Giafa Ref Reyns Syne': 1669.
• ff. 61-74 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Sagann af Saurla hinum sterka': 1670.
• ff. 74b-81 b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Sagann af Hálfe Kónge og Hálfs Reckum': 1670.
• ff. 81b-85 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: '_attur af Aullkofra': 1670.
• ff.85-88b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Hystoriann af Slisa Hrooa': 1670.
• ff. 89-96 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Lyfsaga Markólfs': 1670.
• ff. 96b-97b Isleyfr Gissurarson, d 1080 Bishop of Skálholt: Life: 1670.: Icelandic.
• ff.97b-109b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Fertrams Saga': 1670.
• ff. 110-113 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Aefintyr af einum brogdottum mylnumanne': 1670.
• ff.113b-133b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Sagann af Artus Konge edur Herra Jvent': 1670, 1690.
• ff.129b-143b Jón Björnsson: Copied: 1690.
• ff. 134-139 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Æfintyr af Greÿfa Bertram af Rosilien': 1690.
• ff. 139b-143b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Æfintyr af einum Meÿstara': 1690.