Codex Regius (Latin: Cōdex Rēgius, "Royal Book" or "King's Book"; Icelandic: Konungsbók) or GKS 2365 4º is an Icelandic codex in which many Old Norse poems from the Poetic Edda are preserved. Thought to have been written during the 1270s, it is made up of 45 vellum leaves. The work originally contained a further eight leaves, which are now missing. It is the sole source for most of the poems it contains. In scholarly texts, this manuscript is commonly abbreviated as [R] for Codex Regius, or as [K] for Konungsbók.
The codex was discovered in 1643, when it came into the possession of Brynjólfur Sveinsson, then Bishop of Skálholt in Iceland, who in 1662 sent it as a gift to King Frederick III of Denmark; hence the name. It was then kept in the Royal Library in Copenhagen until April 21, 1971, when it was brought back to Reykjavík, and is now kept in the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Because air travel at the time was not entirely trustworthy with such precious cargo, it was transported by ship, accompanied by a military escort.
One of the principal manuscripts of Snorra Edda (GKS 2367 4to) is also named Codex Regius. Composed of 55 vellum pages, dating from the early 14th century, it was part of the same gift from Bishop Brynjólfur to Frederick III. It was returned to Iceland in 1985, where it is now also in the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.
Contents[]
| Vǫluspá | (Prophecy of the Vǫlva) |
| Hávamál | (Sayings of the high one) |
| Vafþrúðnismál | (Vafþrúðnir's sayings) |
| Grímnismál | (Sayings of Grímnir) |
| Skírnismál | (Sayings of Skírnir) |
| Hárbarðsljóð | (Lay of Hárbarðr) |
| Hymiskviða | (Hymir's poem) |
| Lokasenna | (Loki's quarrel) |
| Þrymskviða | (Þrymr's poem) |
| Vǫlundarkviða | (Vǫlundr's poem) |
| Alvíssmál | (Talk of Alvíss) |
| Helgakviða Hundingsbana I | (First Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane) |
| Helgakviða Hjǫrvarðssonar | (Lay of Helgi Hjǫrvarðsson) |
| Helgakviða Hundingsbana II | (Second Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane) |
| Frá dauða Sinfjǫtla | (On the death of Sinfjǫtli) |
| Grípisspá | (Grípir's prophecy) |
| Reginsmál | (Reginn's sayings) |
| Fáfnismál | (Fáfnir's sayings) |
| Sigrdrífumál | (Sigrdrífa sayings) |
| The Great Lacuna | A lacuna, not a portion of the text |
| Brot af Sigurðarkviðu | (The Broken off Lay of Sigurðr) |
| Guðrúnarkviða I | (First Lay of Guðrún) |
| Sigurðarkviða hin skamma | (The Short Lay of Sigurðr) |
| Helreið Brynhildar | (Brynhildr's Hel-Ride) |
| Dráp Niflunga | (Niflungs' Killing) |
| Guðrúnarkviða II | (The Second Lay of Guðrún) |
| Guðrúnarkviða III | (The Third Lay of Guðrún) |
| Oddrúnargrátr | (Oddrún's Lament) |
| Atlakviða | (The Lay of Atli) |
| Atlamál in grǿnlenzku | (The Greenlandic Lay of Atli) |
| Guðrúnarhvǫt | (Guðrún's Cause) |
| Hamðismál | (Talk of Hamðir) |
Videos[]
External links[]
- Finnur Jónsson's Facsimile Edition of 1891
- CyberSamurai Encyclopedia of Norse Mythology: Lieder-Edda
- CyberSamurai Encyclopedia of Norse Mythology: Lieder-Edda (Old-Nordic)
| The Poetic Edda | |
|---|---|
| Mythological poems | Vǫluspá • Hávamál • Vafþrúðnismál • Grímnismál • Skírnismál • Hárbarðsljóð • Hymiskviða • Lokasenna • Þrymskviða • Vǫlundarkviða • Alvíssmál • Baldrs draumar • Rígsþula • Hyndluljóð (Vǫluspá in skamma) • Svipdagsmál (Grógaldr • Fjǫlsvinnsmál) • Gróttasǫngr • Hrafnagaldr Óðins |
| Heroic lays | Helgakviða Hundingsbana I • Helgakviða Hjǫrvarðssonar • Helgakviða Hundingsbana II • Frá dauða Sinfjǫtla • Grípisspá • Reginsmál • Fáfnismál • Sigrdrífumál • Brot af Sigurðarkviðu • Guðrúnarkviða I • Sigurðarkviða hin skamma • Helreið Brynhildar • Dráp Niflunga • Guðrúnarkviða II • Guðrúnarkviða III • Oddrúnargrátr • Atlakviða hin Grǿnlenzka • Atlamál in grǿnlenzku • Guðrúnarhvǫt • Hamðismál • Hlǫðskviða • Hervararkviða |
| Later poems | Sólarljóð |
| Manuscripts | Codex Regius • AM 748 I 4to • AM 738 4to • Hauksbók • Flateyjarbók • Codex Wormianus |