Gripla - 01.01.1993, Page 79

HRAFNS SAGA SVEINBJARNARSONAR AND STURLUNGA SAGA 79
III 20. In the description of several wonders Hrafns saga twice uses
the word sýn (vision).184 In both cases Sturlunga saga reads: atburðr185
(event). This might be intended by the compiler of Sturlunga saga to
lessen the supernatural tone, since he does tend to leave out or short-
en supernatural things (cf. examples II d. above).
III 21. Ormr Skeggjason is said in HrsGPH text to be outlawed from
Dýrafjprðr and ísafjprðr.186 St. IIp reads: Arnarfjprðr187 instead of
Dýrafjprðr. The relevant sentence is omitted in St. I.
Conclusions drawn from the differences between the text of
Hrafns saga as taken up in Sturlunga saga and Hrafns saga proper
The fuller reading in Sturlunga saga is sometimes a result of
adjustment of the text of Hrafns saga to fit it into the collection of
Sturlunga saga. In some cases (cf. above) the fuller reading might lead
to the inference that there had existed an earlier version of Hrafns
saga, not yet as divided into the two versions as now known, but
containing a fuller text than that used by the compiler of Sturlunga
saga as a source (cf. above), since the compiler does not usually
elaborate on his material, but rather the opposite. There might even,
as has been suggested above, have existed a further intermediate link
between this earlier version and the A- and B-recensions respective-
iy-
The compiler of Sturlunga saga seems to be attempting to make the
text of Hrafns saga more concise and, on occasion, leaves out material
intended for use elsewhere. The compiler omits or shortens most de-
scriptions of supernatural events or phrases in religious and/or didactic
style, and on the whole tries to achieve impartiality, in which case he
might be following the example of íslendinga saga by Sturla Þórðar-
son, also included in his collection.
The different wording in the passage of Sturlunga saga which covers
the material from Hrafns saga and Hrafns saga proper seems to be a
result of similar working methods of the compiler as suggested above,
184 HrsGPH, p. 39.
185 St. I, 311.
186 HrsGPH, p. 44.
187 St. I, 316.