Gripla - 01.01.1975, Page 78
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GRIPLA
to be closer to each other than Hauksbók and 1824 b. Well, it must
be admitted that the figures just listed for Hauksbók and 147—while
they might just pass muster with Mageröy—are not particularly im-
pressive. Mageröy’s method requires that short narrative passages
such as these must have at least one-third of the words in common if
we are to speak with confidence of their literary interrelationship.
In this case, the 147 passage, which consists of 149 words, has 30%
—just under one-third—of its words in common with the Hauksbók
passage; while the latter, which consists of 115 words, has 39%—
rather over one-third—of its words in common with the 147 passage.
The higher percentage in the case of the Hauksbók passage could well
be explained, however, by the fact that this passage is considerably
shorter than the 147 one. Since we cannot confidently state, therefore,
that the two passages have at least one-third of their words in com-
mon, we must look for other features in them which suggest a literary
interrelationship before we admit that oral variation is a possible ex-
planation of the differences between them. It is for this reason that
the two passages are printed here side by side; the words which they
have in common—apart from those in the reference to Knútsdrápa
and in the quotation from that poem—are italicized.
Hauksbók, ed. Jónsson, 464, 2-14:
. . . varð konvngr þa borin ofrliði sva
at mikill þori liðs hans fell en sialfr
varð hann handtekin. IvaR ok þeir
bræðr mintvz nv /iversv faðir þeira
var pindr letv þeir /iv rista orn a baki
Ellv ok skera siþan rifin oll fra rya-
invm með sverði sva at þar vorv
Ivngvn vt dregin. Sva segir Sigvatr
skalld i Knvtz drapv Ok Ellv bak at
let hin er sat IvaR ara Iorvik skorið.
Eftir þersa orrostv gerðiz IvaR kon-
vngr yfir þeim Ivta Englandz sem
hans frændr hofðv fyRÍ att. hann atti
þa .íj. bræ(ðr) frillv borna en annaR
het YngvaR en annaR Hvsto. þeir
pinvþv Iatmvnd konvng en helga eftir
boði Ivars ok lagði hann siþan vndir
sig hans Riki. Loðbrokar synir forv
147, ed. Olsen, 193, 19r, 9-23:
. . . þa lykr suo at landz menn flyia
ok faa micinn osigur . enn ella kongr
er leiddur fyri Ragnars sonu . hann
var sarr miog . luar bad eigi skiott
Rada vm liflat hans ok er nu Rad at
lata sier j hug koma huernn dauda
hann valdi faudr vorum Nu skal sa
madr er hagur er marka aurn a baki
hanum ok Riodm j blodi hans Sa
madr er til þerssa var kuaddur Reist
aurnn m baki hanum ok skar rifin
fréá hryggnum . ok dro vr hanum
lungun ok adr enn þessu verki var
lokit let ella kongr lif sitt Suo segir
siguatr skalld j knutz drapu . Oc ella
bak at leit hinn er sat Iuar ara j
ioruik skorid . Eptir þerssa orrostu
gerizt iuar kongr yfir þeim hluta