[Stockholm, Johan Peringskiöld Sr., 1701] Folio (30.5 x 20.0 cm). [43] p., including woodcut facsimile on pp. [3-18], printed in red on pp. [3-4]. Full polished leather with marbled leather rectangular inlay. Spine with gilt ornamental bands and red morocco label with gilt title. Boards with elaborate gilt-rolled or stippled borders, gilt corner-pieces, and central vignette. gilt-rolled edges and inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. Speckled edges, top edge gilt. 11 additional blanks bound in the rear. In later marbled slipcase (31.7 x 20.7 x 1.6 cm).

Published on behalf of Sweden's Riksantikvarie (“State Antiquarian”) Johan Peringskiöld the Elder (1654-1720), who added translations in Swedish and Latin. The fine binding is by the successful Swedish master bookbinder Gustaf Hedberg (1859-1920), who became bookbinder to the Swedish royal court in 1901, and whose workplace once had more than 100 employees. He was active between 1878 and, approximately, 1908. The saga of Hjalmar (Hialmari) and Hramer ( Hjalmar och Hramers saga) tells the story of King Hjalmar and his close friend Ramer as they engage in various conflicts set in ancient Scandinavia. Allegedly, the manuscript had been found at and bought from a farmer in the district of Rasbo in Uppland. Being the only known runic manuscript at the time, it attracted considerable attention. It was heralded as a national treasure from its "discovery" in 1690 until 1744, when it was shown to be a forgery in a brilliant Uppsala dissertation ( Monumenta suiogothica) supervised and written by C. G. Nordin (1749-1812). The language presented in the runes is similar to Old Norse but with a haphazard grammar and a vocabulary which at times is closer to early modern Swedish. While Halpap clearly played a role in the appearance of the forgery, there has been disagreement as to who was the intellectual author, although most agree that it stems from the circle of scholars close to Olof Rudbeck (1630-1702) at Uppsala University. Meanwhile, the young law student Carl Lundius has been identified as the main suspect in this manuscript fake. The present edition was based on a manuscript, with a runic text. Peringskiöld's edition served as the basis for the text which appeared in 1703 in George Hickes' Linguarum vetterum septentrionalium thesaurus grammatico-criticus et archaeologicus. Today, the manuscript is kept in the curiosities collection of the Royal Library at Stockholm (shelfmark V. r. 1a). Provenance: From the collection of Gustaf Bernström (1877-1966), with his gilt owner's stamp to front cover. Bernström was a Göteborg pharmacist, financier, and bibliophile, and one of the most important Swedish book collectors of the 20th century. Leather on spine slightly faded. Slipcase slightly rubbed on extremities. Else in fine condition. Bibliotheca Fictiva 347. Warmholtz, Bibliotheca Historica Sueo-Gothica 2563. Fiske, Icelandic Collection, p. 245.