SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

326 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
phrases completely unnecessary - but he does not stop
short at epithets, and in a number of instances he excises
general statements and details which he seems to find
equally unnecessary (a hint of this was seen in (6) above).
For instance, he omits the detail that the sons of Hunding
demand recompense from Helgi for the slaying of their
father and with it the detail that a proportion of that
recompense was due to fidrndm mikit on Helgi's part
(VS 14/26, d. HH rr/I-4, 7). Having shown the brother
of King Hoddbrodd to ask hverr styroi in« mikla lioi he
omits the following ok hann feiknalio / fcerir at landi of the
original (VS 16/5 : HH 32/3-6) - it is hardly more than
a repetition of the first question (for further examples of
the avoidance of such repetition see below). Brynhild's
gifts (other than gold) to her women attendants are not
mentioned (VS 60/16, d. Sg. 49/5-8). The details in
Brynhild's prophecy of Atli's murder are omitted (VS
60/26, d. Sg. 60). The statement that Grimhild flung
aside her embroidery on hearing what had become of
Gudnin is omitted - and a most effective image destroyed
(VS 62/10, d. Gar. II 17/5). Gudnin's reply to Atli's
question as to who dealt him the fatal wound omits in the
Saga her own references to the fact that the wound was
serious and fatal (VS 73/20, d. Am. 91/4, 6).
Phrases and sentences that are superfluous in their
context form a special category, and these, too, tend to be
omitted (d. (19a) above), e.g. Fara hildingar / hiorsiefno
til (HH 13/1-2) : to mention that Helgi's forces proceed to
the place of battle is unnecessary since the Saga tells of
the preparations taken by the sons of Hunding and follows
this with the statement peir eiga harba orrostu (VS 14/27)
and a description of the battle.
mun. mins fear / manngi niota (Rm. 5/7-8): this has no
direct equivalent in the Saga. To stress the fact that no
one will benefit from Regin's treasure is superfluous since
the regrettable consequences of being in possession of it
are already sufficiently emphasized in the Saga by the