SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

322 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
clauses. (34) The insertion of sod er sagt at ('statement of
common rumour') is an addition appropriate to prose
style. The statement of the number slain by Hogni's sons
is turned into a description of Gunnar's and Hogni's
valour which is given a loose causal link with flMi vpllr
blMi. In the general context of Am. this is a most happy
innovation since the feats of the two main heroes during
the battle receive no mention whatsoever. In the specific
context of VS it is especially appropriate since a neat
parallel is thereby drawn with their prowess in the second
half of the battle (absent in Am. and based on Akv.).
(35) ok verOr hvild abardaganum is not in the source. This
insertion by the compiler seems, if not absolutely essential,
at least logically desirable. A speech the length of Atli's
(comprising Am. 54-56) along with Hogni's retort could
hardly be made in the heat of battle. Some sort of
breathing space is necessary, and the compiler provides it.
The omission by the compiler of brMir hennar is also
a matter of logic, or rather of consistency. Having cut
out the reference to Bera (see above) he obviously cannot
refer to her brother, nor does he do so.
II
A consideration of the following words and passages will
show that the tendencies noted above are on the whole
general, and will also bring out a number of related trends.
The compiler's attitude towards poetic vocabulary and
diction, towards unnecessary and superfluous detail and
towards repetition is abundantly clear. Kennings are
rejected whenever they occur (d. (2), (8), (14) above):
(HH 7/6) vigprimo : orrosiu (VS 14/13); (HH 1717)
baugbrota : per (VS 15/10); iFm, 32/6) spillir bauga : hann
(VS 3412); (Am. 66/1) ilkvistom : idnum. (VS 71/29).3
Two of the above examples (baugbrota and spillir bauga)
are kennings for 'prince', and it may be specially noted
3 For reasons of space a few examples must suffice to illustrate a general
tendency, here as in most other cases.