Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1992, Page 260

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Marianne Kalinke
In the verse-legend, as in the saga, Heinrich does not immediately
respond with an answer. In the saga he remarks that he has not given the idea
of marriage any thought “og mvn eg giefa ydr hier svar vpp aa seirnna meir”
(I, 43:1). In both the saga and the verse-legend Heinrich is allowed some
time to consider the situation, and then there is to be another meeting with
his courtiers. Both in the verse-legend and in the saga, Heinrich now
attempts to think the situation through. If he does not marry, as the
counsellors wish, “þaa være þat jafn vist at svndr þycke mvnde mikit verda j
Rikenv” (I, 43:11-12), which corresponds to the counsellors’ warning in the
verse-legend that a decision to remain unmarried will have dire conse-
quences for the empire: “daz ríche wurd darmite zerstórt” (v. 782). Heinrich
finally decides to leave his fate in God’s hands, who will see to it that he can
remain chaste his entire life:
unt leiste der fursten bete:
uf gotes tróst er ez tete.
er dáhte: ‘er sol mich wol bewarn,
daz ich mit kuscheit vollenvarn
hin biz an mín ende.’ (vv. 789-93)34
An even stronger and more specific expression of Heinrich’s trust that
God will enable him to preserve his virginity is transmitted in the saga. Here
he considers that if he agrees to the counsellors’ request,
at þaa mvnde hann styggia miog gvd er hann ryfr sitt heit er hann hefer lofat.
nema hann gæte þvi so af stad komet at til þeirrar lofvnar yrde helldr tveir en
einn. Og med þat seinaztha thekr hann þat vpp at eiga allt sitt maal vnder gvde
almathogvm. (I, 43:18-23)
Although the German text above does not convey the prophetic nature of
Heinrich’s resolution in the saga - he and Kunegunde do not consummate
the marriage - it is clear that the Icelandic version reflects the sense of the
former, and therefore also of an older, fuller version than the abbreviated
summary transmitted in the Passionael. Heinrich resolves the dilemma by
placing all his trust in God in the hope that even as a married man he will be
able to remain a virgin. His train of thought thus anticipates his marriage to
Kunegunde, who had made a similar vow of chastity.
The oldest literary version of the legend manifests the extent to which the
Low German Passionael has condensed the narrative. At the same time it
supports our contention that the augmentation in Reykjahólabók is not a
case of creative writing undertaken by the translator or copyist. To judge by
34 He agreed to the nobles’ request: he did so while trusting in the Lord. He thought:
“He is going to protect me so that I can maintain my chastity even to my death.”