Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection

In the so-called Arnamagnäanische Collection ( literary identifier (AM ) to Danish Arnamagnæanske håndskriftsamling ), is one of the most important collections of medieval Icelandic manuscripts by Árni Magnússon is, the scientist who has created them, named.

The manuscript collection is now supported in Reykjavík at Arnamagnäanischen institution by the institution Árnastofnun, Árni Magnússon, the foundation kept.

In 2009, the collection of documents was included in the UNESCO heritage documents.

Beginning of the collection by Árni Magnússon

Árni Magnússon The scientist founded the collection in the 17th century, when it began to collect medieval Icelandic manuscripts on behalf of the Danish king. They were initially kept in Copenhagen, on the one hand because the opportunities to save such a precious documents from decay, were very limited in the impoverished Iceland time, but also for political and financial reasons.

Directors of the collection

One of the directors of the collection was from 1927 to 1971 the writer and literary scholar Jón Helgason.

Manuscript Collection

The manuscripts were kept until the year 1976, all in Copenhagen. From there we began the return to Iceland, which lasted until 1997.

Meanwhile, there are over 600 manuscripts and parts of manuscripts in the Library Foundation. There are also around 150 manuscripts from the personal collection of the king. In addition, the collection were also given about 70 manuscripts from other collectors.

A famous manuscript in the collection that comes from sources other than the Copenhagen collection, is the Skarðsbók postulasagna ( a manuscript with stories of the apostles of Jesus ). There is a manuscript from calf skin from the 14th century, which was bought in London in 1965.

In addition, many manuscripts are temporarily in the collection, when they are needed for scientific purposes. Here is a lively exchange with the University Library of Iceland.

Several Icelandic manuscripts are also still deposited in foreign libraries, as in Denmark and Sweden.

The foundation also held a number of documents which Árni Magnússon collected.

The most precious manuscripts

Some very precious manuscripts can be found here such as:

• Eddische seal: the Codex Regius popularly known as Edda songs
• The Snorra Edda

• Icelandic Sagas the Möðruvallabók (Collection)
• The Brennu Njal saga

• The Flateyjarbók (Collection)
• The Landnámabók

• The Code Gragas

Extension

The collection was later expanded by gifts of different people to a large library.

Research Library

This is one of the biggest trade and research libraries in Iceland. It contains around 19,000 books, 140 journal subscriptions and numerous professional journals. She specializes in Icelandic literature and linguistics, European medieval and folklore.

One can get on the Internet at gegnir.is find out about the book stock of the research library. The books are usually not borrowed, but there is a reading room on site.

Several other foundations have been merged into the library eg by Þorsteinn M. Jónsson (1885-1976) and his wife Sigurjóna Jakobsdóttir.