Seelow Group C

From The Seven Sages of Rome

In Group C, Hubert Seelow collects the manuscripts that contain verse adaptations in the form of the Icelandic Rímur (literal translation being 'rhymes'). All of them were adapted from prints of the Danish Folkebog or the German Volksbuch or from a single story of one of them.

The oldest extant Rímur date back to the 2nd half of the 17th century and were composed by Björn Sturluson who lived from 1559-1621, indicating that his Rímur cycle had to be around at least since the 1st quarter of the 17th century (see Seelow 1989: 214-215). The Rímur af sjö vísu meisturum - cycle consists of 18 Rímur. Sturluson's composition survived in three manuscripts.

Both Jón Þorsteinsson úr Fjörðum (around 1680-after 1739) and Arní Böðvarsson (1713-1776) composed a cycle of 8 Rímur about the story Vaticinium and Amici which is called Rímur af Alexander og Loðvík. It is unclear when Jón Þorsteinsson composed his Rímur cycle; Arní Böðvarsson claims in the finishing verses that he had composed the cycle in 1763 within three weeks (see Seelow 1989: 215).

Lýður Jónsson (1800-1876) composed another Rímur cycle consisting of 3 Rímur in 1846. For this cycle Lýður Jónsson adapted the 3rd story of the Empress - Gaza - from the Danske folkebøger (Danish Version H). The cycle is called Riddararímur or Ævintýri úr sjö meistara sögu and survived in 2 manuscripts (see Seelow 1989: 216).
General Information
Language within Version Icelandic
Narrative / Scholarly Group
Parent Versions Verse: Sjö meistara saga
Child Versions
Author
Title
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages
Version Number
Branch of the tradition West
Language & Composition
Original language of version Icelandic
Translated into (languages)
Place of composition
Date of composition
Source for date of composition
Literature & Editions
Modern research literature Seelow (1989)Rímnatal I
Modern Editions
Recorded branch of this secondary version
Connected prints

No connected prints

Adaptations
Adapted from (version) Verse: Sjö meistara saga
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information Seelow (1989)
Languages in Use
Language of text Icelandic
Regional or specific language of version
Notes
Note
Notes on motifs
Notes on the frame
Pattern of embedded stories in this version

Connected manuscripts