Reconstructing Runes: the Icelandic Rune Poem in AM 687 d 4to

Reykjavík, Stofnun Árna Magnússonar AM 687 d 4to is a parchment bifolio primarily known for containing the Icelandic version of the Rune Poem, a poetic text useful for reconstructing the meaning of Scandinavian runic characters. A key feature of the codex is its poor state of preservation: the surface of the bifolio is extensively damaged, rendering the entire central portion of the poetic text illegible. The text is often included in editions with two other versions of the Rune Poem, an Old English and a Norwegian one, but no particular attention is given to the peculiarities of either the text or of its earliest manuscript. For this reason, this witness has not yet been the object of comprehensive studies aimed at delineating and capturing all its textual and codicological features. This thesis is intended to provide a comprehensive analysis of the information currently available on the Icelandic Rune Poem and its manuscript, following a neophilological approach. The primary objective of this project is to provide a detailed study of the manuscripts' characteristics and history by carrying out a preliminary edition of the verses of the Rune Poem solely preserved in AM 687 d 4to, based on what is visible in the digitized images of the codex.