Skáldskaparmál - 01.01.1992, Page 266

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Marianne Kalinke
legendary. He was so concerned about recording every available information
that he even incorporated conflicting matter. Furthermore, if the available
information could not be reconciled, he metaphorically threw up his hands
in exasperation, for example in the legend of St. Stephen, and exclaimed: “en
hvat sannazt er hier vmm þat veit gvd bezt af ollvm” (I, 216:5—6).40 At other
times the translator conveys that he did not willfully withhold information,
for example, the names of certain persons, but that his sources were silent in
this regard. Thus, at the beginning of the legend of St. George we are told
that a nobleman by the name of George - that is, the father of the saint - had
an illustrious wife, but “hennar nafn er hier ecki greinth” (I, 297:9). Similarly,
the legend reports that on one occasion St. George’s brothers took their
lodging with a wealthy man - and again a comment is interjected - ”þott
hann sie hvergi hier nefndr” (I, 302:33). In his legend, St. Erasmus is
introduced as having been born and having grown up in Antioch, but then
there follows the remark: “Af forelldrvm hans favdr edr modr erv ecki hier
greind j þessare historia” (II, 129:8-10). Presumably as a means of
anticipating criticism or queries, the translator interjects himself into the tale
to inform the readers or listeners that the details were not forthcoming in his
source.
The compiler’s comments also suggest that he did not arbitrarily delete
information from his sources. If a decision was made not to include
something, then a comment or a cross reference is interposed. Thus some
information about St. Augustine has been deleted from the legend of St.
Ambrose, but “hverssv at enda lygt vard fyrer þeim gvdz astvine
Avgvstinvm vmm qvenna malen edr vmm villvna þaa finzt þat j hans sialfs
historia sem hier næst er efter aa” (II, 86:13-15). Indeed, the legend of St.
Augustine follows tliat of Ambrose in Reykjahólabók. Similarly, in Stefanus
saga the compiler deleted the legend of Veronica, but informs the reader
where to turn for the account: “sem seiger j Jacobs savgv minna” (I,
217:17-18). Similarly, he instructs us on another occasion to turn to the same
source for fuller information: “og hverr sem af þessv vill meira heyra. þa leite
j sancte Jacobs savgv ens yngra” (I, 226:30-31). The various types of
authorial commentary in Reykjahólabók attest time and again that it is a
scholarly work upholding the best traditions of hagiography.
The numerous references to discrepancies in variant versions of a legend
and assurances that certain information was not available are by no means
literary topoi but rather expression of a method of work, the goal of which
was to transmit all the available information concerning a particular saint,
although one version of a legend was chosen as the primary source of each
40 A similar statement occurs in the legend “Helgir þrír kongar” in reference to
conflicting information in some sources: “Nv j avdrvm stad seija so svmlegar
rithningar... . en hvat þar sannazt er vmm þaa veit þat gvd allra bezt” (I, 30:3-7).