Ofurlítil íslensk bænabók í Wolfenbüttel

Abstract

The Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel possesses a large collection of manuscripts and printed books from the early modern period. Three Icelandic manuscripts were known to be there, and a fourth came to light in the summer of 1996 when the author of this article was in Wolfenbüttel on research leave. When she was invited to examine an attractive prayer-book from the seventeenth century, registered as Swedish in the library’s catalogue, she quickly discovered that the prayer-book was Icelandic, and that its first owner was Elín Þorláksdóttir (1640-1726), daughter of the Hólar bishop Þorlákur Skúlason. Elín appears to have given the book to her cousin, Elín Hákonardóttir, who in turn gave it to her brother Vigfús. Vigfús died at the early age of 23; an account of his life, preserved in manucripts, was written by Bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson and delivered at the Bræðratunga church on the occasion of Vigfús’s funeral in 1670. From this account we may infer how the manuscript came to Germany. This article discusses the owners of the manuscript, as well as its contents and history. It also prints a passage from the prayer-book and another from the account of Vigfús Hákonarson’s life.