Photos: The manuscripts were escorted by the police to Edda
From the left: Guðrún Nordal, director of the Árnastofnun, Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, and Guðvarður Már Gunnlaugsson admire a manuscript in Edda. mbl.is/Eyþór
About twenty manuscripts were moved from Árnagarður to Edda , the House of the Icelandic Language - earlier today.
The manuscripts will be on display there for the next few months as part of an exhibition about the worldview of the Middle Ages.
Boxes wrapped in plastic due to rain
The manuscripts had been packed in boxes, wrapped in plastic because of the pouring rain outside.
They were then driven over to Edda in a van, which was escorted by the police, according to Guðvarður Már Gunnlaugsson, research professor and director of the culture department at Árnastofnun, who adds that everything went well.
mbl.is/Eyþór
Happy minister
After the manuscripts had been transferred to Edda, Gunnlaugsson took Flateyjarbók out of the box, a medieval manuscript with Snorra Edda , and a medieval manuscript with Margrétar Saga and took them up to the manuscript reading room to show Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Culture and Trade, and others who were present there.
"I couldn't see better than that the minister was pleased with this. We are too. This is a turning point, the first manuscripts have arrived at Edda and are here to stay," Gunnlaugsson says.
The rest of the manuscripts will later be transferred to Edda when the time is right.
"It's a lot of boxes and a lot of trips," he adds.
Lilja Alfreðsdóttir examines a manuscript in Edda. mbl.is/Eyþór
Guðrún Nordal talks to the media today. mbl.is/Eyþór
mbl.is/Eyþór
