SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications
SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications
Saga-Book of the Viking Society in hiding. Aron wanted to attack them er brir udr« hvdrir, but his uncle held him, and the others rode on unaware of their presence.s" It will be recalled that the author was indeed aware that Aron had stayed at Valshamarr enn fyrr i sektinni,54 and it is possible that the episode just mentioned is in some way connected with the tale in Arons saga where Aron and Hatporir walk out of Valshamarr and hear voices in the woods. As has already been remarked, the small uncertainties which stamp this section of the narrative seem to indicate a shaky handling of source material. Arons saga is also ignorant of the fact that Sturla Sighvatsson received sJdlfdcemi from Vigfuss for harbouring Aron, and awarded himself twenty hundreds payable in land. 55 To meet this fine the Valshamarr islands were made over to him. Again we can trust Sturla, for later on these islands were paid over to the historian's father.!" Islendinga saga says that after leaving Rauriarnelr when he had recovered from the Valshamarr ordeal Aron went to stay with Halldorr Amason at Berserkseyrr. Hjorleifr's mistress was there, and father and son met there often."? Amongst these examples it is hard to find very much which the author of Arons saga would have used had he known of it. Arons trick with the empty boat endows him with some cunning, and is a detail which might well have been taken up, but there are no other major incidents concerning the hero which do not also appear in his biography. Minor details such as names and figures could easily be forgotten or distorted, and so far the claim that Islendinga saga was entirely unknown to the biographer seems far from proved. Any facts contained in Arons saga which do not appear in Sturla's account will suggest the existence of other sa Sturl, I 306-7. Lslendinga saga gives Arori's uncle's name consistently as Haf'porr, A rons saga as Hafporir. .. Sturl, II 265. s5 Sturl, I 307. "SturZ. I 318. " Sturl, I 307-8.
On Arons saga Hjiirleifssonar 153 sources. (For the events concerning Aron's life in Norway there is very little comparable material elsewhere. The subject is not discussed here, for reasons of length. On the whole we can probably rule out the possibility that the author used existing written material for this.) The author does seem to be in possession of several details of Aron's earlier life which were not known to Sturla, or at any rate not used by him. Thus, the fact that Aron went to stay with his uncle Helgi after leaving Hitardalr is not mentioned in j slendinga saga, which says that Aron went straight to Eyj6lfr in Flatey, and with his mother, a detail which Arons saga itself does not mention. But if, as implied in Sturla's work, Aron left Hitardalr at the same time as Sturla Sighvatsson, then he could not have gone straight to Flatey, for according to an earlier episode in 1slendinga saga Eyj6lfr did not buy the island until IUS, but the departure from Hitardalr occurred in 1214, that is when Sturla was fifteen years old. 58 This is one instance in which the younger source seems demonstrably more accurate, and the reason for this is no doubt that the author gained his knowledge directly or indirectly from some member of the family. There could be no reason for the invention of such mundane details. Aron's night's lodging at Valpjofsstaoir, his sojourn in the cave near Rauoamelr, his removal from there to Baroastrond where he stays with his kinsmen Eyvindr and T6mas, none of which is recorded in the older narrative, are similar cases.P? With the existence of these probably accurate reports we are more inclined to trust the truthfulness of the biography over details which might otherwise be thought inventions. For example, Arons saga is more precise about the hero's wounds. On Grimsey it says that Aron received three wounds; one in the mouth, another in the thigh, and a third in the instep, while 1slendinga saga only tells that 68 Sturl. I 266-7; II 238-9 . •• Sturl. II 253, 257-8.
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On Arons saga Hjiirleifssonar 153<br />
sources. (For the events concerning Aron's life in<br />
Norway there is very little comparable material elsewhere.<br />
The subject is not discussed here, for reasons of length.<br />
On the whole we can probably rule out the possibility<br />
that the author used existing written material for this.)<br />
The author does seem to be in possession of several<br />
details of Aron's earlier life which were not known to<br />
Sturla, or at any rate not used by him. Thus, the fact<br />
that Aron went to stay with his uncle Helgi after leaving<br />
Hitardalr is not mentioned in j slendinga saga, which<br />
says that Aron went straight to Eyj6lfr in Flatey, and with<br />
his mother, a detail which Arons saga itself does not<br />
mention. But if, as implied in Sturla's work, Aron left<br />
Hitardalr at the same time as Sturla Sighvatsson, then<br />
he could not have gone straight to Flatey, for according to<br />
an earlier episode in 1slendinga saga Eyj6lfr did not buy<br />
the island until IUS, but the departure from Hitardalr<br />
occurred in 1214, that is when Sturla was fifteen years old. 58<br />
This is one instance in which the younger source seems<br />
demonstrably more accurate, and the reason for this is<br />
no doubt that the author gained his knowledge directly<br />
or indirectly from some member of the family. There<br />
could be no reason for the invention of such mundane<br />
details. Aron's night's lodging at Valpjofsstaoir, his<br />
sojourn in the cave near Rauoamelr, his removal from<br />
there to Baroastrond where he stays with his kinsmen<br />
Eyvindr and T6mas, none of which is recorded in the<br />
older narrative, are similar cases.P? With the existence<br />
of these probably accurate reports we are more inclined<br />
to trust the truthfulness of the biography over details<br />
which might otherwise be thought inventions. For<br />
example, Arons saga is more precise about the hero's<br />
wounds. On Grimsey it says that Aron received three<br />
wounds; one in the mouth, another in the thigh, and<br />
a third in the instep, while 1slendinga saga only tells that<br />
68 Sturl. I 266-7; II 238-9 .<br />
•• Sturl. II 253, 257-8.
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