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Saga-Book of the Vihng Society
continue the work of translation. Of other references to
Bergr there is one, that of Arngrimr!"inGuomundar drdpa, 11
which again indicates the regard which Berg's contemporaries
had for him. Einar may have only contempt for
Arngrimr, who when sent on a mission to Norway spent
his time learning to make organs, but the two are united
in their praise of Bergr. It seems probable that Arngrimr
as well as Einar knew Bergr personally, and the stanzas
about Berg's work in Arngrim's Guamundar drdpa
indicate the extent to which it had impressed him.
Of the works which are at present associated with Bergr
Sokkason there are only two which usefully contain his
own statement of authorship. He has written a prologue
to his redaction of Nikolaus Saga which opens with the
sentence,
To all the friends of God, and of himself, who see or listen to
this little book, brother Bergr Sokkason sends God's greetings
and his own.P
In contrast the acknowledgement of authorship in
Michaels Saga is delayed until the last chapter.
I who have put together this account ask humbly that those
godfearing men who hold in their hands this little book,
remember the soul of brother [Bergr] Sokkason on the feast-day
of Michael with some prayer or alms-giving.P
This is the version as it appears in the only complete
manuscript of the saga, AM 657 a-b 4to but the anonymous
request of AM 657c 4to, which asks only that the godfearing
men "rninnist salu minnar", is likelier to represent
the original. That Berg's work was well known is
evident, and a scribe would presumably be more inclined
to insert than delete an indication of authorship.P
10 On the identity of Arngrimr see J6n Helgason in his Introduction to
Bvskupa 56gur in Corpus Codicum Islandicorum Medii lEvi XIX (1950), 15.
H Bps. II 197.
12 "Ollum gubs vinum ok sinum, peim sem penna bzokling sja eoa heyra,
sendir brMir Bergr Sokkason kvei'lju gui'ls ok sina" (Hms. II 49).
13 "Bib ek Iitillatliga, er pessa rroi'lu samsetti, at peir guohrzeddir menn, er
penna brekling hafa meb hondum, minniz salu broour [Bergs] Sokkasonar a
hatioardegi Mikhaelis meor nokkurri bam ei'la olmusu" (Hms. I 713).
u Cf. Bergsb6k, Holm. fo!' I, in which 6ldfs Saga Trygguasonar is introduced
by a suggestion that Bergr db6ti compiled it. The probable connection of
Bergr Sokkason with the work is discussed by Gustaf Lindblad in his introduction
to the facsimile edition of Bergsb6k in Early Icelandic Manuscripts ill
Facsimile V (1963), 12-13.