Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga - 01.01.1967, Page 68

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TÍMARIT ÞJÓÐRÆKNISFÉLAGS ÍSLENDINGA
eigi lengi ásami verii, áðr þeim varð
barna auðil — “had not been long
together before they were blessed
with children.” All of the three
sentences quoted above occur within
the space of three short consecu-
tive chapters in Laxdæla Saga.
None of the contexts seems to be
such as to call for special emphasis.
Similar use of understatement
that does not result in a strong
rhetorical effect is also common in
Old English. For instance in
“Riddle 60” the speaker says.
Hér lýi ic wende / þæi ic ær
oþþe síð æfre sceolde / ofer
meodu múðléas sprecan . . .
(Little did I expect that I,
early or late, s h o u 1 d ever
speak, mouthless, o v e r the
mead).
Phrases like líi ic wénde are
rather common. A few samples fol-
low:
Forþon him gelýfeð lít, se þe
áh lífes wyn / gebiden in bur-
gum, bealosíþa hwón / wlonc
ond wíngál, hú ic wéring ofi
in brimláde bídan sceolde . . .
(Therefore he who possesses
the pleasure of life spent in
cities, proud and flushed with
wine, believes httle how I,
weary, often must suffer at
sea).
Lýi þú geþóhies / ió won þínre
sáwle síð siþþan wurde. . . .
(Little did you consider where
the journey of your soul would
be afterwards).
Ac híe þonne forhliað ond féa
þencaþ / hwæí híe ió Crísie
cweðan onginnen. . . . (But
then they will fear and will
think a little (or, few will
think) about what they will
begin to say to Christ).
Ne mæg þæg ænig unforhi
wesan / for þám worde þe se
Wealdend cwyð . . . (Nor may
there anyone be unafraid be-
fore the word that the Lord
will speak).
Sometimes it is difficult to deter-
mine w h e t h e r certain negative
phrases that occur in Old English
poetry are intended for special rhe-
torical effect, or simply for variation,
or both. In “The Battle of Brunan-
burh” we find a statement to the
effect that the Mercians ne wyrn-
don / heardes hondplegan hæleþa
nánum — literally that they “did
not withhold hard hand-play from
any of the warriors.” Similarly, m
“The Battle of Maldon” we find the
phrase for wælere ne murnon as a
variation on wódon þá wælwulfas-
(They did not shrink from (be afraid
of) the water . . . then the battle-
wolves waded). It is possible to take
the latter example as a quiet com'
ment by the omniscient narrator.
In other contexts in Old Englis^
understatement seems to be used to
suggest a degree of understanding °r
sympathy on part of the narrator,
without special elaboration. For im
stance, in “The Battle of Maldon’
we are told that íó raþe hine geleR®
lidmanna sum, in reference to a
brave act on the part of one Angl°'
Saxon warrior who is “hindered too