Rare Books
< Back
Prices in EUROS (€), shipping and BTW/VAT extra.
< Back
Editio princeps of the famous prose Edda from the library of the son of Colbert
STURLUSON, Snorri.Edda Islandorum an. chr. MCCXV Islandice conscripta per Snorronem Sturlae Islandiae. nomophylacem nunc rimum Islandice Danice et Latine ex antiquis codicibus m. ss Bibliothecae regis et aliorum in lucem prodit opera et studio Petri Johannis Resenii I.V.D.     Copenhagen, Henricus Gödianus, 1665. 4to. Contemporary marbled calf spine gilt in compartments with flower ornaments and crowned monograms, double fillet borders with gilt coat-of-arms in the centre of both covers. (4), 52, 138, 22, 14 lvs. Very rare first edition together with Latin and Danish translations by Pierre Resenius of the famous Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241). An Icelandic chieftain and historian, the leading figure in medieval Nors literature. He is one of the most influential people of his day, involved in many political intrigues. This copy belonged to Jacques-Nicolas Colbert (1655-1707; his coat-of-arms are on the covers), son of the famous French minister to Louis XIV, and archbishop of Rouen. Pietrus Resenius, (Peter resen, 1625-1688), was a Danish scholar who returned to Copenhagen in 1657 after a grand tour to France and Italy, to become a professor at the Copenhagen University in 1657, He has based this edition of the Prose Edda on the manuscripts present in the Royal Library in Copenhagen, among which the famous Codex Regia was the most important. The so-called Eddaic poems and myths represent Iceland's unique tradition of saga-writing. The Edda is a complicated mixture of religion and poetic diction and strictly speaking there are two Eddas: The Elder or Poetic Edda and the younger or Prose Edda. This last Edda is Sturluson's Edda which is in fact a treatise on the art of Icelandic poetry and a compendium of Norse mythology and is the prime source on the subject; written by Sturluson between 1220 and 1230, doubtless also intended for aspiring poets. To explain this art and the distinctive and complex poetic diction, Snorri first had to retell the myths. The second part (Philosophia antiquissima.dicta Volupsa) constitutes a method for the use of writers of scaldic compositions and the third part in this copy contains an enumeration of the different metres that have to be applied in writing scaldic poetry, the Ethica Odini vocata Haavamaal. These last two parts are nearly always missing in other copies. Totally complete copies -as ours- are extremely rare. Our copy is even more complete as it contains the preliminaries (title, forword, preface, in total six extra leaves) to the second edition of 1673, in fact a re-issue of the original 1665 edition. The original title and dedication to this part are (mis)bound just after the main title. An other particularity of our copy is that the three pages with 'errata`, mentioned by Brunet as often lacking, are on two separate leaves bound after the mainpart, whereas in the facsimile edition they are printed at the end of the third part. Good copy, with an interesting provenance.- (Some foxing and browning).
Edda Islandorum Völupsá Hávamál., P.M. Resens editions of 1665. Printed in facsimile with introd. by Ant. Faulkes (Reykjavik 1977), with important introduction; Printing and the mind of man 279; Brunet II, 942; see exhibition catalog Pierpont Morgan Library, Icelandic Sagas, Eddas, and Art, New York, 1982; Not in NUC.
Related Subjects: 17th Century Fable Books Iceland Literature Middle Ages Mythology Scandinavia Add to Shopping cart |
€ 12.500,00
Prices in EUROS (€), shipping and BTW/VAT extra.
< Back
Terms of sale
All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
E-mail this to a friend
Antiquariaat FORUM B.V.
Tuurdijk 16
3997 MS t Goy-Houten,
The Netherlands
Tuurdijk 16
3997 MS t Goy-Houten,
The Netherlands
Phone: (+31) (0)30 601 1955
Fax: (+31) (0)30 601 1813
E-mail: info@forumrarebooks.com
Web: http://www.forumrarebooks.com
Fax: (+31) (0)30 601 1813
E-mail: info@forumrarebooks.com
Web: http://www.forumrarebooks.com