SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

On Arons saga Hjiirleifssonar 147
possible, of course, that Sturla himself is guilty of
suppression here, since he was not above the odd judicious
omission when he thought fit. Of a similar nature is the
discrepancy the two accounts show in the matter of the
priests Snorri and Kmitr, who, according to 1slendinga
saga were seized in the churchyard, while the author of
Arons saga has them dragged out of the church before being
tortured and castrated.
Corresponding to this are certain strong differences
which, in the younger narrative, show Aron himself in
a decidedly more heroic light. 1slendinga saga says that
after the defence of Grimsey had crumbled and the
attackers had gone inland in search of the bishop, Aron
lay helpless in the seaweed on the foreshore until
Eyj6lfr came and carried him away to the boat in which he
made his escape. In Arons saga the hero was sitting
upright with his weapons, surrounded by the dead and
wounded, bloody but unbowed, and was well able to walk
unaided along the shore with E yj6lfr. 34 At Valshamarr,
Haf'porir's lone journey from the lamb-shed to the farm is
represented as a disobedience, for Aron had told him to
wait svd at peir gengi bdoir saman heim, but according to
Sturla peir Aron gerou pat rdO that Haf'porir should
proceed alone to the farm buildings to see what was
happening. 35 The strongest difference of all is in the
whole story of the killing of Sigmundr snagi. In
1slendinga saga this episode shows Aron in the worst
possible light. Accompanied by Starkaor Bjarnarson he
goes to Eyoihus and sees Sigmundr and another man
working in a stackyard. Vildi Aron eigi d hann leiia,
writes Sturla. They wait until it is pitch dark. Starkaor
enters the house and asks for refreshment, while Aron
conceals himself outside near the door. There is no water
inside. Starkanr asks Sigmundr to go with him to fetch
some, and arranges it so that Sigmundr steps out first,
.. Siurl, I 292; II 250.
•• Sturl. I 307; II 266.