In early January, the manuscript collection received a donation of 94 manuscripts. They contain rhymes, chivalric tales, and later ancient tales, most written in the period 1870–1910 or thereabouts, but also some older ones. 

 

The collection features the work of various well-known writers, such as Níels skáldi Jónsson (1782–1857), Gísli Konráðsson (1787–1877) and Björn Sveinsson (1844-1932). The names of previous owners and their various marginal notes can also be seen in many places.

 

The manuscripts originally came from the collection of Bjarnhéðinn Jónsson, a blacksmith in Reykjavík (1876–1920). Bjarnhéðinn operated a blacksmith's workshop at Aðalstræti 6B that he had purchased from his apprentice, Sigurður Jónsson from Hliðsnes (1843–1935). It was also the home of the couple, Bjarnhéðinn and his wife, Guðrún Jónsdóttir (1868–1947), and their two daughters. Bjarnhéðinn died at the age of only 44, and Markús Ívarsson (1884–1943) and Bjarni Þorsteinsson (1897–1938) then bought the workshop from his widow and named it Héðinn in memory of Bjarnhéðinn. That business is still in operation today.

 

Bjarnhéðinn was a great bookworm and collector and had a large collection of rhymes, printed and unprinted, as well as chivalric tales and later ancient tales, some written in his own hand.

 

Two years after Bjarnhéðin's death, the National Library acquired nine manuscripts from his estate (Lbs 1935–1936 4to and Lbs 2079–2087 8vo). In 2000, the manuscript collection received ten manuscripts from Bjarnhéðin's collection from the Blindravinafélagið. They had been received from the couple Fríða Bjarnhéðinsdóttir (1908–1994) and Tómas Jónsson, a plumber (1910–1996), who were the daughter of Bjarnhéðin and Guðrún. Fríða and Tómas were childless and had bequeathed their property to the society. These manuscripts now have the collection number Lbs 5540–5543 4to and Lbs 4842–4847 8vo. It is worth noting that printed books from Bjarnhéðinn's collection formed the original collection of the Reykjavík City Library, which was purchased for the library in 1922, which was then called the Reykjavík Public Library. 

 

Now that over 100 years have passed since Bjarnhéðinn's death, a large part of his manuscript collection has been reunited in the manuscript collection of the National Library of Iceland - University Library. The manuscripts are now being registered on handrit.is. The library thanks this generous gift and reminds us that it gladly accepts manuscripts and private documents now as always, catalog them and preserves them for use and research.