Gripla - 20.12.2005, Qupperneq 37

STYLISTICS AND SOURCES OF THE POSTOLA SÖGUR 35
As seen from the delineations above, the scene’s preface is comprised of the
description of Paul’s arrival at Paphos and the introduction of the sorcerer and
the proconsul; this the Icelandic reproduces almost exactly, omitting only the
mention in Acts of Paul and his companions ‘going through the whole isle,’43
and the sorcerer’s real name as Barjesus.44 The dramatic encounter consists of
the earl’s calling of Paul and Barnabas to him so that he can hear the word of
God, of Elymas’ attempt to dissuade the earl, and of Paul’s rebuke of the
sorcerer.45 The conclusion is reproduced almost exactly as well, with only a
minor change on the part of the Icelandic translator: Sergius is „astonished at
the doctrine of the Lord,“ which is given in 645 as „he worshipped the name
of the Lord,“ perhaps resulting from a misunderstanding of the Latin. The
precise repetition of this basic scenic form in the Vulgate Acts, in its Icelandic
43 The island is Cyprus, and Paul goes from Salamis at the eastern end to Paphos at the western
end, although the AM 645 translator has misread the source and given Paphos as an island.
44 Thus also omitted from verse 8 is the explanation that the sorcerer’s name is Elymas ‘by
interpretation’.
45 Only four details here are changed in AM 645: Paul’s being filled with the Holy Spirit before
he speaks to Elymas (omitted in AM 645), Paul’s threat that the ‘hand’ of God will come
over Elymas (changed to the ‘wrath’ (reifle) of God in AM 645) and that Elymas will not see
the sun for a season (omitted in AM 645), and the description of Elymas, after being blinded,
seeking someone to take him by the hand (AM 645 says that Elymas was now „alblindr,“
entirely blind).
It is a suitable irony that Elymas should blindly seek for someone’s hand when it is the
‘hand of God’ that blinds him; also symbolically appropriate is the fact that the proconsul
converts after he witnesses, or ‘sees,’ the blinding of Elymas (the motif of blinding and ‘eye-
opening’ in fact is carried on from Paul’s initial blinding in Damascus).
10. dixit o plene omni dolo et omni
fallacia fili diaboli inimice omnis ius-
titiae non desinis subvertere vias Domini
rectas
11. et nunc ecce manus Domini super te
et eris caecus non videns solem usque ad
tempus et confestim cecidit in eum ca-
ligo et tenebrae et circumiens quaerebat
qui ei manum daret
12. tunc proconsul cum vidisset factum
credidit admirans super doctrinam
Domini
[10.] oc melte: „fiu fianda sunr, fullr lygi
oc væla, ovinr allz retlætis! Firer hvi l∂tr
flu eigi af at villa rettar gøtor gufls?
[11.] Nú flegar mun coma iver flic reifle
drottens, oc mundo verfla blindr heflan
fra.“ fia com iver hann floca oc myrcr, oc
varfl flegar alblindr.
[12.] [Conclusion] Jarl toc tru, er hann
sa fletta, oc dyrca›i namn drottens
(Post.:217.36-218.11).