--- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, "James R. Johnson"
<modean52@...> wrote:

> I'm simply saying that taking a modern Icelandic Bible and changing

it to

> Old Norse should be relatively easy (or easier than Modern English

to Old

> English), since the language hasn't changed that much in the 800

years since

> it was spoken, whereas English speakers couldn't understand the

English of

> 800 years ago.
>
> James

Hi James,

Thank you for your comment !
You are right that Icelandic has changed much less
than English during the last 1000 years. I guess
it was because Iceland was never invaded by any
foreign army, like England was invaded by
the Normans. I don't know if it is always outside
influences that accellerate language change, but it could be.


We do have samples of genuine Old Norse
biblical quotes in the socalled homily books.
(books of sermons)
The one I have seen, has Old Norse translations
of sermons written by the English priest Anselm
who lived in the 8th century. But I expect you'd
find some Bible excerpts there as well, though
I cannot guarantee it, without returning to the
library to scrutinize its pages.

btw, the version whose URL was quoted by Athanarik,
is that the only available version, or are there
other, more or less independent Icelandic versions
available?

I have heard about an Icelandic Bible from around
1500, or maybe it was 1600. But I have forgotten
the name. Does any one have a reference to it?

If the sagas were written around 1300, then that isn't
all too far away.

Best
Xigung