Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1992, Page 261

Reykjahólabók
259
the bridal-quest section of the legend of Heinrich and Kunegunde, the
source must have borne considerable similarity to the hagiographic
Volksbiicher popular in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries in the
German language realm.
A second example of the quite different narrative mode in the Low
German and Icelandic legendaries, but one for which no corresponding
German text has as yet been found, is an episode from the legend of St.
Christopher. In the Passionael we read that St. Christopher and the devil,
whom he served before his conversion, were traveling together one day:
Do quemen se to ener tijd verne vp enen breden wegh an ene stede. dar stunt
eyn kruce by deme weghe. do sach de duuel dat kruce. vnde dorste ouer den
wech nicht rijden. Dat sach Cristoferus. vnde duchte em wunderlik. vnde sprak
tho deme duuele. Here segghe my worumme rijdestu den krummen wegh. Dat
wolde em de duuel nicht gherne seggen. Do sprak Cristoferus. Du scalt my de
warheyt seggen. edder yk dene dy nenen dagh meer. (lxxxii,c)35
This short scene corresponds to an episode consisting of several scenes in
Reykjahólabók, in which an elaborate accounting is given of the motivation,
while the interaction of the principals is fully depicted:
Þa einn thima sem þeir vorv vt ridande nockvt so langt bvrttv j fraa stadnvm
þeim er þeir forv wr og fra almenninngs vegvm komner. Þa fvndv þeir eina
þiodbravt fyrer sier hardla breida. aa hana snerv þeir og ridv hana lengi dags og
fvndv ecki neitt fyrer sier. hvorcki hvs nie so menn. en er leid at qvellde. Þa fieck
þessi heran og sveinn hans at siaa hvar sem eitt kross marck stod aa midre
gavthvne. og þegar at hann leit crossenn þaa kallade hann aa Reprobvs og sagdi
til hans þv Reprobvs skallt rida fram þenna retta vegen sem vid ridvm nv. En eg
mvn rida hier vpp j skogen lithla stvnnd og skal eg efteraa finna þig aftvr. þa
svarade Reprobvs. Vit ervm nv ecki fleire enn thveir einer og vil þvi faraa med
þier þangat sem þv fer þa svarar Sathanas. Med mier þarfttv ecki at fara. þvi eg
hefvr hier eitt lithed leyndar erinde j morckinne. Og nær eg hefi þat vt endat þa
skal eg strax finna þig aftvr og mattv þvi vel rida vndan sem eg seige þier. Enn
þesse ord er hann mællte vid Reprobvs. þa vorv þav ecki annars thavlvd en fyrer
hrædzlv skvlld þvi hann þorde siaalfvr þar ecki fram rida sem heilagt krossmarck
stod fyrer. og at so mælltv skiliazt þeir og reid sidan hvor sina leid Enn þegar at
Reprobvs var komen fram yfer crossmarckit. þa kom hvsbonde hans þar
Sathanas aptvr ridande. og þegar at Reprobvs sier hann verdr hann miog hryggrr
og hvgsar med sier hvar thil at hvsbonde hans mvnde att erinda jafnskiotvr sem
hann var aptvr til sin og sagde til hans Vnndarlegt þyke mier herra vmm ydra
ferd og erinde jafnstvtt sem þat var og villda eg giarnnan eiga faa þat at vitha. ef
þier villdvt seigia mier hvat þar til kæme og so lijka vmm þat at þier villdvt helldr
rida hinn bivga vegen. helldvr enn hinn retta og sletta gavthvna rett aa fram. þa
35 Once upon a time when they had traveled far on a broad road they came to a spot
where a cross stood by the wayside. Then the devil saw the cross and did not dare to
ride past it. Christopher saw this and thought it strange and said to the devil: Sir, tell
me, why are you riding such a crooked path. The devil did not really want to tell him
the reason. So Christopher said: Either you tell me the truth or I refuse to serve you
any longer.