SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

328 Saga-Book oj the Viking Society
(VS 68/2); (Am. 38/2) lok mun ek [ess segia : (YS 68/18);
(Am. 39/2) pats an vari : (YS 68/21).
There can be no doubt that the compiler is transforming,
and with surprising thoroughness, his poetic sources into
a plain prose narrative. Poetic diction and elevated style
yield very largely to the matter-of-fact (d. (9), (IS), (26),
and (30) above), as the following comparisons conclusively
demonstrate; these few examples are entirely typical and
could be multiplied: (HH 10/1-2) skamt let visi / vigs at
bioa : hann rezk i hernas (YS 14/18); (HH 21) sendi dro /
allvaldr paoan / ojlopt ok um lrJg, / leioarat bioia, / iOgn6gan
/ 6gnar lioma] brognom bi60a / ok burom [eira : Eptir [eua
sendir Helgi menn mea jegjrJJum at steJna at sir mrJnnum
(YS IS/20). (HH 41/7-10) Pa er brceorom. pinom / bri6st
raufaair; / geroi» pik fragian / aJ firinverkom : pu drapt
brceor pina ok geroir pik at illu kunnan (VS 16/26); (Fm.
1/2-3) hveriom ertu sveini um borinn? / hoerra ertu manna
mogr? : hverr er pinn [ani», eoa huerr er att pin (VS 31/8);
(Akv. 24/1-4) Hl6 pa HrJgni, / er til hiarta skdro / kvikvan
kumblasmio / klokkva hann sizt hugoi! : ... ok skdr« 6r
honum hjartat. Ok sod var mikill pr6ttr hans at hann hl6
meaa» hann beio pessa kVrJl (YS 71/10-12).
On the other hand it must be admitted that he does at
times let a word or phrase of a poetic or elevated nature
slip through his net (d. (12) above), though very
infrequently, e.g. Jraneygi (VS 31/18 : Fm. S/4); er blanda
hjrJrlegi Surtr ok lEsir saman (YS 32/6-7 : Fm. 14/S-6);
minu afli atta ek via orms megin (YS 33/12 : Fm. 28/4-S).
At other times the compiler makes changes in
vocabulary that are not perhaps strictly necessary from
the point of view of prose style (d. (10), (17) and (2S)
above), e.g. (HH 36/7-8) (brceor pinom) at bana oroit :
drepit (brceor pina) (YS 16/1S); (HH 36/9) sdr (sogit) : hrte
(YS 16/17) (the two changes may be due to a desire to
avoid alliteration); (HH 41/S) 6grJgn : 6hrJpp (YS 16/26);
(Fm. 30/1) hugr : gott hjarta (VS 33/18-19); (Am. 6/6)
(GlaumvrJr), er Gunnarr atti : kona Gunnars (VS 66/1).