In 1656, the Danish king Frederik 3. received Flateyjarbok. Before he brought it back to the Royal library in Copenhagen, the Icelandic bishop and intellectual Brynjolf Sveinsson gave the king a strong admonition to translate and publish the sagas across the known to be read and studied so that the tradition wouldn't pass into oblivion as museum relics collecting dust in hidden corners.

We believe that Bishop Brynjolvs admonition is as poignant today as it was then, and have adopted it as our creed in our work. Thus our work becomes a part of a historical timeline going back to the creation of Flateyjarbok with its clear political intent, to influence the young King Olav 4. to create a just and good society.

HISTORICAL TIMELINE FOR THE FLATEYJARBOK PROJECT

1380–87: The first section of Flatøybok is hand-written under the supervision of Jon Håkonarsson.

1387: The young King Olav IV Håkonsson dies, just 17 years old.

1387– ca. 1400: The second section of Flatøybok is penned under the supervision of Jon Håkonsson.

1647: The farmer Jon Finnsson (ca. 1592-) transfers Flatøybok, a family heirloom for more than 200 years, to Brynjolv Sveinsson, Bishop of Skålholt.

1656: Brynjolv Sveinsson notifies the Allthing that King Fredrik III is collecting ancient manuscripts for his library in Copenhagen, announcing at the same time that he himself is presenting Flatøybok to the king.

1662: Flatøybok is quickly translated into Danish by the learned historian, the Icelander Tormod Torfæus.

1682: Torfæus is appointed royal “historiographus” by King Christian V, and begins composing, with the king’s blessing, a comprehensive account of Norway’s ancient history. Flatøybok is loaned to Torfæus at Avaldsnes on Karmøy Island. There it is preserved in a fireproof cellar for 22 years. The book is an important source for Torfæus’ unrivaled History.

1704: Flatøybok is returned to Copenhagen in connection with King Fredrik IV’s visit to Avaldsnes.

1857: Christian C. A. Lange, national archivist of Norway, takes the initiative in having Flatøybok published in Old Norse via the state budget.

1860–68: The first printed edition in Old Norse (three volumes), by Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1827-1889) and Carl Richard Unger (1817–1897), is published in Oslo.

1893: A facsimile of the portions of Flatøybok dealing with the Vinland voyages is exhibited at the World’s Fair in Chicago, USA.

1930: Flatøybok is published in a unique facsimile edition by Finnur Jónsson (1858-1934), published in Copenhagen. The facsimile edition is presented as a gift to the Icelandic representatives.

1944–45: The second printed edition in Old Norse (five volumes, the Akranes Edition) by Sigurður Nordal, is published in Reykjavik, Iceland.

1971: Flatøybok and Codex Regius are restored to Iceland on a Danish war ship and welcomed home with great celebration.

1990s: The prominent Icelandic scholar Ólafur Halldórsson propounds the theory that the first section of Flatøybok was originally intended as a gift to King Olav IV.

2005: American scholar Elizabeth Ashman Rowe follows up Ólafur Halldórsson’s research in her thesis, Development of Flateyjarbók: Iceland and the Dynastic Crisis of 1389.

2012: The Flatøybok Project is announced.

Representatives of Saga Bok and illustrator Anders Kvåle Rue travel to Iceland to examine the original manuscript in the Arnamagnæan Institute in Reykjavik.

2014: Presentation of Flatøybok, Vol. 1 to Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. The book was presented by project manager Bård Titlestad, who was received along with Torgrim Titlestad by the president at the presidential residence outside Reykjavik.

2015: Release of Flatøybok, Vol. 2 at the offices of Fritt Ord on Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo.

Presentation of Flatøybok, Vol. 1 to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Celebration of Flatøybok, Vol. 2 in Stavanger Cathedral.
Presentation of Flatøybok, Vols. 1 and 2 to the president of the Icelandic Allting. The presentation was announced at the Allting’s November 2 session.

2016: Presentation of the Flatøybok Project at Nordens Hus in Torshavn, capitol of the Faeroe Islands. This occurred as part of a larger publicity project focused on promoting common Norse saga history as an important foundational element of the world’s democratic cultural heritage.

The launch of Flatøybok, Vol. III in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

2017: Torgrim Titlestad, Chief Editor of the Norwegian translation of Flatøybok into modern Norwegian, is appointed a knight of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon for his work on Flatøybok, a contribution which has received much attention in Iceland. The honor was bestowed by Ambassador Herman Örn Ingólfsson on behalf of Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, president of Iceland.

2018: Announcement from Saga Bok that the entire Flatøybok will be translated into English. This occurred at an event held at the Norwegian Club in London, attended by several of the foremost saga experts from Great Britain, the USA, Iceland and Norway.

The release of Flatøybok, Vol. 4.

2019: Anders Kvåle Rue’s Illustration of Ingolv Arnarsson’s landing in Iceland (Flatøybok, Vol. 1) becomes part of Iceland’s new passport.

Launch, by the chief editors, of Viking House, a Virtual Reality (VR) film based on tales from Flatøybok concerning Harald Fairhair’s childhood and early youth.
The common history of Norway and the Orkneys is celebrated in the magnificent St. Magnus Cathedral at Kirkwall in the Orkneys.
The musical Harald Dovre-foster, based on Flatøybok’s account of Harald Fairhair’s childhood and early youth, is performed at Sola Culture House. The production is produced by The Saga Heritage Foundation.
Release of Flatøybok, Vols. 5 and 6.
Flatøybok, Vols. 1-6 is presented to H.M. King Harald, on the occasion of Chief Editor of the Norwegian translation, Torgrim Titlestad’s, audience with the king at the royal palace in Oslo.

2021: The Norwegian edition of Flatøybok is deposited in the Arctic World Archive, Svalbard.

2022: Flateyjarbok is presented to Icelandic President Gudni Th. Johannesson at Bessastadir, Reykjavik.

2023: Flateyjarbok is presented to HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in a personal audience with project manager Baard Titlestad at Amalienborg Castle, Copenhagen.

2024: Alison Finlay’s Flateyjarbok translation into English is completed.