Searchable version - Viking Society Web Publications

2 Saga-Book of the Viking Society
In the absence of an argument from verbal parallels, all other
possibilities must be exhausted before a lost saga can be assumed
with confidence as a source for an existing one.
I believe Sigurour Nordal did not have strong enough reasons
for his, admittedly hesitant, assumption that there was once a
*I>orsteins saga Kuggasonar which was a source for Bjarnar saga
Hitdcelakappa (BorgfirOinga sogur 1938, lxxxi-iii), The possibility
that such a saga once existed cannot be denied but most of the
points that suggest such a possibility can be explained in some
other way. Porsteinn is introduced in ch. 27 of Bjarnar saga:
l>orsteinn bet maor ok var Kuggason; hann bj6 i Ljarskogum. Hann var auoigr
maor at fe ok vel kynjaor ok p6tti vera ojafnaoarrnaor; hann var mregClr viCl gotga
menn ok g60a drengi. Porfinna het kona hans ok var nastabrcecra l>6rdisi, konu
Bjarnar.
He plays a major part in the rest of the story; first he is co-opted
on to 1>6ror's side ofthe feud, then he attempts to mediate between
Bjorn and 1>6ror, and finally he makes a settlement for Bjorn's
death. According to Nordal (BorgfirOinga sogur 1938, lxxxii), the
way in which Porsteinn is introduced suggests that the author knew
more about him than he thought necessary to relate, particularly
as I>orsteinn's genealogy in the saga is so sketchy. Nordal also
believed that some of the characters in the latter part of the work
may have come from a lost *I>orsteins saga, arguing that the section
which begins with the arrival of Porsteinn on the scene, is much
the best part of the saga, in terms of style and artistry iBorgfirbinga
sogur 1938, lxxvi).
One of the major problems when dealing with Bjarnar saga is
that it exists in only one medieval fragment, and several early
modern copies, none of which are complete. Even when these are
put together, we find the first fivechapters of the saga are summary,
and there is a lacuna in the middle. The lack of a detailed introduction
for Porsteinn and his sketchy genealogy may therefore have
something to do with manuscript preservation: it is conceivable
that such information was in a part of the original text now missing.
It is not unknown for a character to be introduced in the beginning
of a saga, and then reintroduced when he first plays an active part
in events if that is much later.
In ch. 34 of Bjarnar saga, Porkell Eyj6lfsson, who plays a major
role in the settlement which concludes the narrative, is described
as a frtendi and brcebrungrof Porsteinn Kuggason, but the relationship
is not explained in more detail. However, Porkell is a wellknown
figure from other sagas (he is Guonin's fourth husband in