The exhibition “A World in Words” in Edda gives people the opportunity to view manuscripts from various periods. Manuscripts are regularly replaced, as they cannot stand being in display cases for long. One of the manuscripts currently on display in Edda is Lbs 1077 8vo, which was written in 1783 by Ólafur Guðmundsson of Vindhæll. The manuscript is preserved in the manuscript collection of the National Library of Iceland. The manuscript includes, among other things, the Margrétar saga, which tells the story of “how the maiden Margrét becomes a Christian but is driven from her home and later imprisoned for her faith,” as stated on the exhibition’s website. Saint Margrét was the patron saint of women in childbearing years, and the story was interpreted as an analogy for a successful birth. Manuscripts containing the Margrétar saga are small, so it was easy for midwives to travel with them and midwives to keep them close at hand.

The manuscript is written on paper and bound in a leather cover. A sewn leather thong, in three parts, is attached to the cover and wrapped around the manuscript. The appearance of the manuscript bears witness to its extensive use.