This book offers an invaluable glimpse into fifteenth-century Icelandic religious practices, providing deep insights into their paleographic and historical context.
The Priest's Eye presents a comprehensive edition of codex AM 672 4to, a significant Icelandic manuscript from the late fifteenth century, preserved in the Arnamagnæan Collection at the University of Copenhagen. This volume is a critical resource for scholars of Old Norse and Icelandic literature, religious studies, and hagiography. The manuscript, intended as a priestly handbook, includes translations of key religious texts such as the Parva pars oculi dextri sacerdotis; legends of Saints Bartholomew, Barbara, Agatha, Blaise, and Nicholas; and a discussion on the Lenten fast. It also encompasses the parable of the sower, an explication of the Mass, and a theological treatise. Gaps in the defective manuscript have been reconstructed from AM 626 4to. The detailed introduction offers insights into the manuscript's history, paleographic nuances, and textual connections, making this work a crucial contribution to medieval Icelandic studies.
