Illuminated manuscripts are perhaps the most beautiful treasures to survive from the middle ages. This authoritative volume provides a comprehensive introduction to the medieval world of books, their production and their consumption. The text divides this world into different groups of readers and writers: missionaries, emperors, monks, students, aristocrats, priests, collectors and the general public. De Hamel is both informative and immensely readable, and the sumptuous illustrations render this book too good to be missed.
This book appears in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the birth of the Icelandic scholar and antiquarian and#193;rni Magnand#250;sson (1663 and#150; 1730), who, in addition to his duties as secretary of the Royal Archives and, from 1702, professor of Danish Antiquities at the University of Copenhagen, spent much of his life building up what is by common consent the single most important collection of early Scandinavian manuscripts in existence.
and#160;
While consisting predominantly of Icelandic manuscripts, the Arnamagnand#230;an collection also contains many important Norwegian, Danish and Swedish manuscripts, along with about one hundred of continental provenance. In addition to the manuscripts proper, nearly 3000 items, there are about 14000 Icelandic, Norwegian and Danish diplomas, both originals and first-hand copies.
In this book are presented descriptions of 66 manuscripts, one for each year and#193;rni Magnand#250;sson lived. Half of these 66 are now housed in Copenhagen and the other half in Reykjavand#237;k. There are contributions by 35 scholars from eleven countries, each in some way connected to one of the two institutions which bear and#193;rni Magnand#250;sson's name.and#160; High quality colour photographs complement the texts. Descriptions and pictures of a selection from the many diplomas found in the collection have also been included, along with a comprehensive introduction to and#193;rni Magnand#250;sson's life and work and a chapter on book production in the Middle Ages.
and#160;
The Arnamagnand#230;an manuscript collection is, as this volume attests, remarkably diverse, containing works of literature and science, religious texts and law books, calendars and music, to name only a few of the many genres represented. The manuscripts and documents in the collection are invaluable sources on the history and culture of medieval and early-modern Scandinavia, but their relevance is far greater than that. This was recognised when the collection was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2009 following a joint submission by Iceland and Denmark.
Manuscripts on the brainandmdash;andAacute;rni Magnanduacute;sson, collector
Svanhildur andOacute;skarsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Codex Wormianusandmdash;Nordic mythology
Peter Springborg
and#160;
Eddic poems and skaldic learning
Gudranduacute;n Nordal
and#160;
Edda oblongata
Margrandeacute;t Eggertsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
A short history of the kings of Norway
Matthew Driscoll
and#160;
The oldest saga in Icelandandmdash;Oddr Snorrasonandrsquo;s saga of Olaf Tryggvason
Annette Lassen
and#160;
Codex Frisianus
Jonna Louis-Jensen
and#160;
A fragment of the younger redaction of the lost Skjandouml;ldunga saga
Annette Lassen
and#160;
The first steps of a scholar
Tereza Lansing
and#160;
A divided codex
Silvia Hufnagel
and#160;
The oldest fragment of an andIacute;slendingasaga
Alex Speed Kjeldsen
and#160;
Kentill Jandouml;rundssonandrsquo;s copy of Egils saga
Margrandeacute;t Eggertsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Egill Skallagrandiacute;mssonandrsquo;s new clothes
Svanhildur andOacute;skarsdottir
and#160;
Yeykjabandoacute;kandmdash;Njandaacute;ls sagaandrsquo;s many travels
Ellert Por Jandoacute;hannsson
and#160;
From Gandiacute;sla saga to dust-jacket
Pandoacute;rdur Ingi Gudjandoacute;nsson
and#160;
The book of Mandouml;druvellir
Gudvardur Mandaacute;r Gunnlaugsson
and#160;
Brothers in arms
Jandoacute;hanna Katrandiacute;n Fridriksdandoacute;ttir
The book of Reykjarfjandouml;rdur
Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
A bishopandrsquo;s sagas
Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
The book of Icelanders
Margrandeacute;t Eggertsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Hauksbandoacute;k
Emily Lethbridge
and#160;
Universal history for nuns
Svanhildur andOacute;skarsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
A map of Jerusalem
Soffandiacute;a Gudny Gudmundsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
A world chronicle in a pastoral manual
Sverrir Tandoacute;masson
and#160;
A handbook for a prince
Jeffrey S. Love
and#160;
King Magnus the Lawmenderandrsquo;s Code
Vidar Pandaacute;lsson
and#160;
AM 28 8voandmdash;Codex runicus
Britta Olrik Frederiksen
and#160;
The archiepiscopal seeandrsquo;s law code
Britta Olrik Frederiksen
and#160;
Jyske Lov in folio-format
Britta Olrik Frederiksen
and#160;
Commonwealth law
Vidar Pandaacute;lsson
and#160;
Ancient annals
Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Ivar Bandaring;rdssonandrsquo;s description of Greenland
Matthew Driscoll
and#160;
Chronicon Skibyense
Contemporary history from the time of the Danish reformation
Anne Mette Hansen
and#160;
Helgaandrsquo;s bookandmdash;catholic songs and Lutheran hymns
Gudranduacute;n Nordal
and#160;
Bishop Gissur Einarssonandrsquo;s cartulary
Gudvardur Mandaacute;r Gunnlaugsson
and#160;
The Icelandic land register
Sigurgeir Steingrandiacute;msson
and#160;
A handful of charters
Norwegian crusaders ~ Jeffrey S. Love
Harsh words at Papa stour, anno 1299 ~ Matthew Driscoll
A church charter on a gradual leaf ~ Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
A priest buys land ~ Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
A medieval prenuptial agreement ~ Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
May all good men remember Porbjandouml;rgandrsquo;s soul ~ Gudranduacute;n andAacute;sa Grandiacute;msdandoacute;ttir
Title deeds from the St. Clara Convent archive ~ Anne Mette Hansen
and#160;
Picking up the pieces
andAacute;rni Heimir Ingandoacute;lfsson
and#160;
The Vatnsfjandouml;rdur psalter
Jonna Louis-Jensen
and#160;
The labours of the month
Jeffrey S. Love
and#160;
Finding the Sunday letter
Hallgrandiacute;nmur J. andAacute;mundason
and#160;
The troll-wifeandrsquo;s calendar
Svanhildur Gunnardsandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Uncanny beasts
Svanhildur Gunnardsandoacute;ttir
and#160;
The Icelandic model book
Soffandiacute;a Gudny Gudmundsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Old homilies
Haraldur Bernhardsson
and#160;
Stjandoacute;rn, the Old Testament in Old Norse
Haraldur Bernhardsson
and#160;
A Spanish rarity
Matthew Driscoll
and#160;
Plandaacute;citus drandaacute;paandmdash;the Oldest preserved copy of a drandaacute;pa
Jonna Louis-Jensen
and#160;
Miracles and saintsandrsquo; lives
Simonetta Battista
and#160;
The office of St. Porlandaacute;kr
andAacute;rni Heimir Ingandoacute;lfsson
and#160;
The saga of St. Nicholas
Sverrir Tandoacute;masson
and#160;
The legend of St. Margaret
Ludger Zeevaert
and#160;
Kirkjubandaelig;jarbandoacute;kandmdash;a picket-sized female legendary
Simonetta Battista
and#160;
Roman wars on Icelandic vellum
Porbjorg Helgadandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Alexanders sagaandmdash;Alexander the great in Icelandic
Alex Speed Kjeldsen
and#160;
Charles the great and other champions of the church in Iceland around 1500
Christopher Sanders
and#160;
Codex Askabyensis
Britta Olrik Frederiksen
and#160;
From a bishopandrsquo;s mitre
Peter Springborg
and#160;
Censored
Sverrir Tandoacute;masson
and#160;
A book of rhymes the thickness of a handbreadth
Rosa Pandoacute;rsteindandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Remembrance of music past
andAacute;rni Heimir Ingandoacute;lfsson
and#160;
A schoolteacherandrsquo;s handbook?
Britta Olrik Frederiksen
and#160;
Cousin Gudlaugandrsquo;s calendar
Gudranduacute;n Ingandoacute;lfsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Life at andAacute;rni Magnanduacute;ssonandrsquo;s childhood home
Margrandeacute;t Eggertsdandoacute;ttir
and#160;
The Arnamagnandaelig;an leechbook
Anne Mette Hansen
and#160;
Marine Jespersdatterandrsquo;s prayer book
Anne Mette Hansen
and#160;
A book of verse from vigor
Dandoacute;runn Sigurdardandoacute;ttir
and#160;
Book production in the Middle Ages
Soffandiacute;a Gudny Gudmundsdandoacute;ttir and Laufey Gudnadandoacute;ttir (with Anne Mette Hansen)
and#160;
Afterword
Index of manuscripts
List of citations
List of illustrations
Index of persons
Index of titles
Contributors