Among Iceland’s early musical sources, the manuscript known as Melódía (Rask 98) stands out as a remarkable survival from the seventeenth century. Dating from around 1660 to 1670, it presents a substantial collection of 223 songs, making it unmatched in size and significance among Icelandic musical manuscripts of its era.
Roots in Icelandic and European music traditions
Although the manuscript’s scribe and exact place of creation are unknown, evidence points to a strong connection with Skálholt, a major ecclesiastical centre in southern Iceland. The diverse contents hint at the cultural exchanges that shaped life and learning at the time, especially where church music and education intersected.
Melódía does not just preserve Icelandic music but integrates melodies from both local and continental origins. Most of the texts are written in Icelandic, though some appear in Latin. Among its pages lie sacred pieces as well as secular works, plainchant arranged for two voices, and selections that blend older musical styles with newer influences from mainland Europe. Songs by composers such as Ludwig Senfl, Paul Hofhaimer, Francesco Corteccia, and Jacobus Clemens are identified within the manuscript, alongside popular European tunes of the period, like the French chanson ‘Susanne un jour.’
A manuscript’s journey and continued influence
Throughout its history, Melódía has travelled far beyond its home. It remained in Iceland until about 1810, when the Danish scholar Rasmus Rask acquired it during his travels. Following Rask’s death, the University of Copenhagen bought his manuscript collection, and today Melódía is housed in the Arnamagnæan Institute’s archives there.
The manuscript is structured into several thematic sections: these include sacred and secular songs, pieces from the songbook of Reverend Ólafur Jónsson of Sandar (who lived from about 1560 to 1627), and entries drawn from the 1619 Hymnal. This organisation reflects both liturgical use and broader popular interest in music during the period.
Interest in the music of Melódía has grown among academics and performers alike. In recent years, Icelandic ensembles have brought these songs into new recordings and concerts. A notable example is the Carmina Chamber Choir, whose 2007 album devoted entirely to music from Melódía received national and international accolades, including an Icelandic Music Award and recognition from the magazine Gramophone.
While no full scholarly edition of the manuscript has yet appeared, many of its songs have reached modern audiences through compilations and critical studies. In 2024, a dedicated edition was published focusing on the segment containing Reverend Ólafur Jónsson’s songbook, and selections from Melódía appear in collections of historic Icelandic songs produced in the twenty-first century.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
