Add MS 4860

BANKS COLLECTION. Vol. IV (ff. 350). Collection of romantic Sagas, many of which are translations; 18th cent. 'No. 42' according to a note on f. 1. Viz.:-

(1) 'Nitidae Fraegu Saga': in 17 chapters. Story of Nitida the Famous, a virgin Queen of France. It tells of her wisdom and her treasures, especially of the stone vase, made by Earl Virgilius, in which she can see all the world reflected. ff. 1-16b.

(2) 'Drauma Jons Saga': in 6 chapters. Story of the rivalry between two interpreters of dreams, Earl Henry of Saxland, and John, a village smith. ff. 17-27b.

(3) 'Blausar og Victors Saga': in 15 chapters. Story of Victor, King of France, telling how he goes on Viking expeditions with his foster-brother Blaus, and how he marries Fulgida, Queen of India, the sister of Blaus. ff. 29-54b.

(4) 'Halftdans Brónu-Fostra Saga': in 20 chapters. Story of Hálfdán, son of King Hríngr of Denmark, and his adventures in Helluland, telling how he redeems a princess who has become a semi-Trold named Brana. She guards him in his later adventures like a Valkyria, helping him to marry an English princess, and to become King of England. Another copy of this saga is in Add. MS. 11162, f. 145. Printed as No. 9 in E. J. Björner, Nordiska Kämpa-Dater, Stockholm, 1737, and in C. C. Rafn, Fornaldar Sögur Nordrlanda, iii, Copenhagen, 1830, pp. 559-591. The text agrees best with Rafn's codex D. ff. 55-94b.

(5) 'Floris kongs Saga og sona hans'; in 18 chapters. Story of Floris, King of Tartaria and many other lands in Africa, telling how he loses his wife and his three sons and how he then captures his own sons under the names of Unus, Secundus and Tertius. ff. 95-116b.

(6) 'Hrólfs Gautreks Sonar Saga': in 44 chapters. Story of Hrólfr, a son of a king of west Gotland. It tells how he is brought up by King Hríngr of Denmark, how he wins a Swedish princess, Þorbjörg, a shield-maiden,

and how he assists the courtships of his brother Ketill and his fosterbrother Asmundr. For another copy see Add. MS. 11162, f. 75. Printed at Upsala in 1664, with a Swedish translation by O. Verelius, under the title of Gothrici et Rolfi Westrogothiae regum historia, the first 11 chapters being occupied with Gautreks (or Gjafa Refs) Saga (cf. Add. MS. 4857, art. 3). It has been reprinted by Rafn, as a separate saga, after that of Gautrek, in Fornaldar Sögur, iii, pp. 55-190. ff. 117-156.

(7) 'Bragda Máusar Saga': in 27 chapters. An adaptation of the Quatre fils Aymon. This version agrees with Part I of the copy in Add. MS. 4869, art. 2, and with the edition of Gustaf Cederschiöld. ff. 157-188b.

(8) 'Partalópa Saga': in 18 chapters. A version of Partonopeus de Blois. The present text has been derived, though with considerable alterations, from that contained in a 14th century MS. in the Arna- Magnaean collection at Copenhagen (vellum, quarto, 533), ed. Oscar Klockhoff, Upsala Universitets Årsskrift, Upsala, 1877. See Eugen Kölbing, 'Die verschiedenen Gestaltungen der Partonopeus-Sage', in Germanistische Studien (Supplement zur Germania), ii, Vienna, 1875, pp. 55-114, 312-316. ff. 189-208.

(9) 'Hrólfs Kóngs Kraka Saga': in 42 chapters. Story of Hrólfr, the hero-king of Denmark, called Kraki because of his being long and thin. The story tells of his great state at Hleiðargarðr, and of the exploits and fall of Hrólfr and all his men. Another copy is in Add. MS. 11162, f. 115. Printed as No. 5 in Nordiska Kämpa-Dater, and in Fornaldar Sögur, i, Copenhagen, 1829, pp. 3-109. The present text nearly agrees with that of Codex A of Fornaldar Sögur, which is founded on the Arn. Magn. MS. (paper, folio 9) written by Jón Erlendsson in Villingaholt, by order of Brynjólfr Sveinsson, Bishop of Skálholt. ff. 209-260.

(10) 'Friðþiófs Þorsteinssonar Saga': in 10 chapters. Story of Friðþiófr, of his mistress Ingibjörg, and of his magic ship. This is the original of the poem of Bishop Esaias Tegnér. Printed as No. 6 in Nordiska Kämpa-Dater, and in Fornaldar Sögur, ii, Copenhagen, 1829, pp. 61-100 and again on pp. 488-503. The latter version is almost the same as the present one. This romance has been translated into English by George Stephens, in the introduction to his translation of Tegnér's poem, Stockholm, 1839. ff. 261-272b.

(11) 'Álaflecks Saga': in 12 chapters. Story of Alafleck, a grandson of Hálfdan Brönu-fóstri (see art. 4), telling how he becomes a werewolf and is hunted by his own father, but is saved by his foster-mother, and his wolf-skin burned. ff. 273-284b.

(12) 'Thiódels Saga': in 8 chapters. Story of Thiódel, Lord of the town of Sarie, whose wife steals away his clothes, while he is in the form of a bear. This is an adaptation of the Lay of Bisclaveret, by Marie de France. ff. 285-292.

(13) 'Dínusar Drambláta Saga': in 36 chapters. Story of Dínus the Proud, King of Egypt, and Philotemia, a princess of Bláland. It tells how

they are enchanted by magic fruits, horns springing up on the heads of Dínus and his men, and Philotemia and her maidens being turned into crows. It then tells of their disenchantment and the splendours of their marriage-feast. ff. 293-328.

(14) 'Vilmunds Viðutann Saga': in 26 chapters. Story of the birth of two princesses of Hólmgarðr telling how a Vala sets treasures and flowers before them. One of them (Soley) chooses a piece of groundsel, and the other (Gullbrá) a gold ring. The peasant Vilmundur, in search of his father's goats, meets with Soley, becomes a great champion, and marries her. Her sister Gullbrá is married to Godfrey, son of King Baldwin of Gallicia. ff. 329-350b.

includes:

• ff. 1-16b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Nitidæ Frægu Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 17-27b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Drauma Jons Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 29-54b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Blausar og Victors Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 55-94b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Halfdans Brónu-Fostra Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 95-116b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Floris kongs saga og sona hans': 18th cent.
• ff. 117-156 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Hrólfs Gautreks Sonar Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 157-188b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Bragda Máusar Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 189-208 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Partalópa Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 209-260 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Hrólfs kóngs Kraka Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 261-272b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Frid_iófs _orsteinssonar Saga': 18th cent.
• ff.273-284b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Alaflecks Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 285-292 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Thiódels Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 293-328 Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Dínusar Drambláta Saga': 18th cent.
• ff. 329-350b Icelandic MSS Collection of sagas, annals, legal codes, etc. in Icelandic as follows:: 'Vilmunds Vidutann Saga': 18th cent.