Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1994, Page 140

Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1994, Page 140
138 Marianne Kalinke The most significant instance of Hólmkells working behind the scenes on behalf of his daughter and Víglundur occurs after Víglundur and Trausti have left the country. Once more Ketilríður has a suitor, this time a man named Þorleifur Steinólfsson from Hraunsdal. Ketilríður objects, but the suitor boasts that he would yet get her, whether she wanted him or not. Not unexpectedly we are informed that “mjög var Þorbjörg honum samþykk” (p. 1975). At this point — while Víglundur is abroad and Ketilríður is pressured by this new suitor — a strange incident occurs: Hólmkell rides over to Ingjaldshvol and he and Þor- grímur speak together for a long time, “og vissi engi maður tal þeirra” (p. 1979). Thereupon, when “Þorleifur Steinólfsson hélt enn á bónorðinu við Ketilríði,” Hólmkell sends three men on a secret mission; they are gone for three weeks, “og vissu öngvir menn hvað þeir höfðu erindað” (p. 1979). One of the striking aspects of Víglundar saga is the friendship between Þorgrímur and Hólmkell, the fathers of the lovers. The first mention occurs at the very beginning of “Víglundar saga og Ketilrfðar” (p. 1963). Subsequently, the acts of aggression toward Þorgrímur’s family on the part of Hólmkell’s wife and sons are punctuated by the reaffirmation of the friendship of the two men. When Hólmkell arrives to ask Ólöf to bring up his daughter, the narrator notes that “vinátta mikil var með þeim” (p. 1963). After the attempted rape of Ólöf, her husband remarks that they should ignore the incident, “sakir Hólmkels vinar míns” and because the rape was foiled (p. 1965). The two fathers intervene in the armed clash following a horse fight, in which three men are slain, but once again we learn: “Enn helst vinátta með þeim Þorgrími og Hólmkeli sem áður” (p. 1965), and on this occasion Hólmkell learns of the love between Ketilríður and Víglund- ur, but “meinaði hann það ekki en Þorbjörgu og sonum hennar þótti það mjög illa vera” (p. 1965). As the violence escalates, the two men manage to maintain their friendship. When Hólmkell learns that his wife has had Þorgrímur’s oxen slaughtered, he pays compensation, “og skildu þeir Hólmkell og Þorgrímur með mikilli vináttu” (p. 1967).30 The only break in the longstanding friendship occurs when Hólmkell learns that Víglundur and Trausti have killed three of his men. This time the two men do not meet, and Hólmkell takes out his anger (“Hólmkell varð þá reiðr mjög við sögu þessa” [p. 1972]) on both Víglundur and his daughter by marrying her to Hákon. Yet, when he learns about the true state of affairs, that is, that his sons had provoked the altercation, he regrets having gone too far: “þá þóttist hann hafa ofgert” (p. 1972). Subsequently, when the aggression reaches its climax and results to keep the daughter for himself. In Víglundarsaga, the comment serves to protect the daughter from Hákon, whom she does not wish to marry, and to preserve her for Víglundur, whom she loves. Cf. Kalinke, Bridal-Quest Romance, pp. 41—44. 3° The repeated efforts by Þorgrímur and Hólmkell to maintain peace between the two families is reminiscent of Gunnarr and Njáll’s behavior in Njáls saga in response to the machinations of their wives.
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