SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

324 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
source, Ghv. 14). Sometimes a tairly elaborate description
of their arms and accoutrements is given, see e.g. the
description of Sinfjotli, VS 16/6 f. (a marked elaboration
of what is said in H H 33), or that ot the party that goes
to visit Gudnin in Denmark, VS 62/15 f. (again an
elaboration of indications in Gor. II 19). Banquets, if
not more amply described, are usually 'sumptuous', e.g.
VS 47/35 (source lost), VS 64/14 (not in source, Gar. II 36);
a victory, when mentioned, is generally 'magnificent',
e.g. VS 15/3 (not in source HH 13), VS 30/6 (source lost),
and battles are very often 'fierce', e.g. VS 17/18 (indicated
in source, HH 53), VS 69/II (indicated in source, Am.
44 1.), VS 70/7 (source unknown).
But in most cases attributive adjectives are retained
(or replaced) only if they are essential and their omission
would destroy the sense of what is being said. Occasionally
the compiler uses an attributive adjective to render
the sense of a longer phrase which he wishes in essence to
keep, or else, rather rarely, the compiler retained an
adjective he considered to be especially appropriate in the
context. There follow a few examples of these latter
categories which, as indicated, are by no means large:
(HH 46/5-8) Peir hafa markat / d M 6insheimom / at hug
hafa / hiorom at bregaa : en p6 eru peir haroir menn (VS
17/5); (Sg. 26/1-2) A ek til ungan erfinytia : en pess til
ungan son d ek (VS 58/36) : here, it is the youth of the boy
that explains why he cannot protect himself, a statement
that immediately follows.
(Am. 26/1,3-4) A hugoa ek inn renna ... / pyti of pi6sti, /
peystiz of bekki : pat dreyma« mik at mer p6tti her falla inn
d harola strong ok bryti upp stokka i hgllinni (VS 66/23-4).
Here, the torrent's fury is expressed in the adjective
(harola) strong. An indication of its fury is appropriate in
view of its results. (Am. 24/1) Bl60gan mceki : bl60ugt
svero (VS 67/17). Here, the sentence has been remodelled,
but the adjective 'bloody' is no less effective, it might
even be thought a more effective symbol: the dream sword