SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

34
Saga-Book of the Viking Society
a woman is to be found in the tale of Tristan and Isolde.
Before entering upon a discussion of the curious
coincidences, it will be convenient to stress the following
points. All the adduced motifs belong exclusively to the
tale of Siegfried. They are to be found both in the
German and in the Scandinavian tradition. It is not
safe to maintain that they belonged to the original
legend lying behind the West and North Germanic
traditions, but we might perhaps venture the conclusion
that this legend was especially liable to harbour motifs of
this kind.
On the other hand, the same motifs are scattered
throughout the Irish literature. They appear as well in
the Ulster cycle of Cuchulainn as in the Leinster one of
Finn. One might draw the conclusion that these motifs
were lying ready to hand for any Irish story-teller who
wanted to adorn his tale with fascinating details. So we
might aver that they are at home in Ireland and a wholly
. foreign element in the Germanic tradition.
The next step in our reasoning would be: the tale of
Siegfried has adopted a series of motifs of Irish origin.
Does this mean that a German poet has culled them from
Irish sources? It would be only a natural conclusion at
which we arrive in such instances. But it is impossible in
this case. For then we have to suppose, that this German
poet or several poets in succession would have had access
to a broad mass of Irish literature, which is hardly
credible. It would be more natural if these German poets
had a source nearer to hand.
This difficulty has led some scholars to a quite opposite
conclusion: they believe in an influence of Germanic on
Irish tradition. We could bring in the Vikings in
connection with this transmission; they could have
carried motifs of this kind to the much harassed Irish
people; at any rate they are made responsible for importing
pieces of Irish or Gaelic literature into their homelands.
But again we must ask: why have these borrowings been