© Gunnar Tómasson

27 May 2018

The Reference Sentence from Reykholt Covenant

Skrín þat es stendr á altara meþ helgo domo gefa þeir Magn oc Snorre at helfninge hvar þeirra oc es þetta kirkio [fe umb fram of þat es áþr es talet].

(The shrine that stands on the altar with holy relics is given by Magnus and Snorri, one half each of them, and this church [treasure is additional to that listed/enumerated/counted before].)

The Saga Cipher is constructed from the 22 words, Skrín – kirkio. In the construction of Cipher Values themselves, the letters contained in any given word are represented by their ordinal position in the Alphabet as shown at the end of this note.

Concepts in Pythagorean Creation Myth, when met with in Cipher Analysis, have independent Cipher Values that are routinely integrated with textual Cipher Values.

The Cipher Value of the Saga Cipher itself is defined as the Sum of the Cipher Values of 21 Letters of the Alphabet (See Note below) as follows:

73 + 116 + 225 + 228 + 285 + 325 + 376 + 425 + 449 + 504 + 542 + 569 + 660 + 683 + 770 + 821 + 896 + 923 + 949 + 1018 + 1094 = 11931

Construction of

Letter Cipher Values

A = 73 is derived from Skrín as follows: 1 word + 5 letters + 18/S + 10/k + 17/r + 9/í + 13/n = 73

B = 116, from þat: 73 + 1 word + 3 letters + 19 + 1 + 19 = 116

C = 142, from es: 116 + 1 word + 2 letters + 5 + 18 = 142 – See note below.

D/Ð = 225, from stendr: 142 + 1 word + 6 letters + 18 + 19 + 5 + 13 + 4 + 17 = 225

E = 228, from á: 225 + 1 word + 1 letter + 1 = 228

F = 285, from altara: 228 + 1 word + 6 letters + 1 + 11 + 19 + 1 ++ 17 + 1 = 285

G = 325, from meþ: 285 + 1 word + 3 letters + 12 + 5 + 19 = 325

H = 376, from helgo: 325 + 1 word + 5 letters + 8 + 5 + 11 + 7 + 14 = 376

I/J/Y = 425, from domo: 376 + 1 word + 4 letters + 4 + 14 + 12 + 14 = 425

K/C = 449, from gefa: 425 + 1 word + 4 letters + 7 + 5 + 6 + 1 = 449 – See note below.

L = 504, from þeir: 449 + 1 + word + 4 letters + 19 + 5 + 9 + 17 = 504

M = 542, from Magn: 504 + 1 word + 4 letters + 12 + 1 + 7 + 13 = 542

N = 569, from oc: 542 + 1 word + 2 letters + 14 + 10 = 569 – See note below.

O = 660, from Snorre: 569 + 1 word + 6 letters + 18 + 13 + 14 + 17 + 17 + 5 = 660

P = 683, from at: 660 + 1 word + 2 letters + 1 + 19 = 683

Q = 770, from helfninge: 683 + 1 word + 9 letters + 8 + 5 + 6 + 11 + 13 + 9 + 13 + 7 + 5 = 770

R = 821, from hvar: 770 + 1 word + 4 letters + 8 + 20 + 1 + 17 = 821

S = 896, from þeirra: 821 + 1 word + 6 letters + 19 + 5 + 9 + 17 + 17 + 1 = 896

T/Þ = 923, from oc: 896 + 1 word + 2 letters + 14 + 10 = 923 – See note below.

U/V = 949, from es: 923 + 1 word + 2 letters + 5 + 18 = 949

X = 1018, from þetta: 949 + 1 word + 5 letters + 19 + 5 + 19 + 19 + 1 = 1018

Z = 1094, from kirkio: 1018 + 1 word + 6 letters + 10 + 9 + 17 + 10 + 9 + 14 = 109

NOTE: The letter C is not part of the Icelandic alphabet, but is used in 13th century Saga writing as an alternative to K. Thus, the letter C is only used for construction purposes, with its Cipher Value 142 serving in the construction of E. The Saga Cipher Calculator is programmed to use the Cipher Value of K, 449, for the letter C in any given text. Also, in the construction of the Cipher Values of N and T/Þ, which involves oc in the reference text, the C is treated as K.

Ordinal position of Letters

Of the Alphabet

A = 1

B = 2

(C = K = 10)

D = 4

E = 5

F = 6

G = 7

H = 8

IYJ = 9

K = 10

L = 11

M = 12

N = 13

O = 14

P = 15

Q = 16

R = 17

S = 18

T/Þ = 19

U/V = 20

X = 21

Z = 22

W = V + V