The handout for our May 2012 discussion.

Some Interpretations of Hyndluljoð

The Manuscript:

The earliest form of Hyndluljoð is found in the Flateyjarbok (“Flat-island book”), a medieval Icelandic manuscript written near the end of the 14th century. The Flateyjarbok was given to Bishop Brynjolfur Sveinsson by Jon Finnsson of Flatey in the middle of the 17th century; the bishop gave it to the king of Denmark, and the book became part of the Royal Library of Copenhagen until it was returned to Iceland in 1971 along with Codex Regius. In addition to Hyndluljoð, the book contains many other sagas and tales, including some not found elsewhere, such as the Groenlendinga Saga (Saga of the Greenlanders) and Sorla Thattr, best known as the source for the ever-popular story of Freyja’s acquisition of the Brisingamen. Continue reading →