SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

342 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
Regin in the Saga seems slightly less of a boor!": the
vocative Siguror of Fm. 23/r becomes herra minn in the
Saga (VS 33/2), and he is much politer when asking Sigurd
to roast the dragon's heart: veit mer eina ban er per er
litit fyrir (VS 33/24) which is absent in the source (Fm. 27).
Concerning Brynhild, two points could be made.
Firstly, the compiler's treatment of Sg. 6-9 is such that
many details are lost (VS 57/7-ro). This has the effect of
lessening the stress laid in the source on Brynhild's
jealousy. Not that the compiler entirely avoids this
motif (see e.g. VS 5r/27-28), but on the whole he is far
more concerned with Brynhild's desire for vengeance.
This could also be considered in keeping with his attempt
to make the narrative as consistent as he can (see below).
Secondly, again probably owing to the excision of what
the compiler deemed unnecessary detail, Brynhild's wish
to give away her gold when she stabs herself seems in the
Saga more a final act of benevolence than an invitation to
suicide (VS 60/r3-r8 : Sg. 49-52).
Gunnar appears on one occasion in the Saga a little
more civilized than in the source. His greed for Sigurd's
wealth, so forcibly expressed in Sg. r6/r-2, is less
emphasized in the Saga, and his desire for the death of
Sigurd is instead ascribed to Sigurd's supposed breach of
good faith (VS 57/2r perhaps influenced by Br. 2). Here
again it may be a question of consistency in the narrative:
the compiler has played down Brynhild's jealousy and now
introduces an element of the vengeance theme.
Certain changes in the Saga have also slightly affected
the character of Gudnin. Wieselgren!" mentions the
compiler's omission to utilize Sg. 6r in which Brynhild
reproaches Gudnin for not joining Sigurd in death, and
states that the compiler is concerned to show Gudnin in
the best possible light. Yet there seems to be but little
evidence to support his contention, to which he does not
17 Cf. Wieselgren, op, cit., I 43.
18 0p. cit., I 65.