SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

Treatment of Sources in the Volsunga saga 333
Gar. II 38/1-4 (VS 64/20) and Ghv. 13/2 (VS 77/1). Not,
of course, that the concept of fate is in itself weakened,
and thus dreams and prophecies must play their part.
It seems difficult to sustain an impression, created
perhaps by his treatment of HH, that the compiler is
essentially anti-mythological and anti-supernatural. The
compiler clearly considered mythological and supernatural
elements that were not strictly germane as irrelevant; and
in accordance with the principle amply demonstrated
above, he simply removed them.
The compiler's attitude towards sentimentality (d. (30)
above) is referred to by Wieselgren as one of hatred.s
though no specific references are made. There are
certainly instances of the compiler's avoidance of
sentimental elements. Gunnar's feelings at the thought
of Sigurd's death (Sg. 13/II-14) are passed over and
a reference to the oaths he and Sigurd had sworn
substituted (VS 57/15); Brynhild's reflections on the love
that might have been between her and Gunnar in Sg.
58/8-10 are omitted (VS 60/24); Am. 66/4-6 tell how
Gunnar's skill with the harp in the snake pit made the
onlookers weep: this becomes a statement that Gunnar
played well (VS 71/29); Gudnin's reminiscences in Am.
72/1-6 are omitted (VS 72/12) as are her remarks (Am. 98)
on the Gjukungs' early exploits with Sigurd, though the
related remarks in the following stanza are largely retained
(VS 73/29-31); Ghv. 9/1-2 describes Gudnin as weeping,
and this, too, is omitted (VS 76/30). There are also
instances of the omission of whole stanzas which may be
said to contain an element of sentimentality, e.g. Sg.
40-41 (VS 60/4), Sg. 57 (VS 60/22), Ghv. 20-21 (VS 77/8).
'Hatred', however, is too strong and Wieselgren himself
later remarks 7 that a mixture of styles would not have
improved the saga. This surely is the point. The
• op. cii., I 14 (he uses the word 'Ingrimm').
7 0p. cii., I 70: '... durch Stilmischung ware seiner Arbeit nicht gedient
gewesen',