Gripla - 01.01.1995, Page 171

STEFANUS SAGA IN REYKJAHÓLABÓK
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about the location of the bodies and the content of the dream that is
meant to identify the coffins. Whereas in the other redactions the
dream vision is in harmony with the facts of the burial, there is none-
theless one casket too many (except in AM 655 XIV), while the sym-
bolism of the silver casket is flawed. This flawed version of the dream
nevertheless corresponds to the oldest redaction, that found in the
Epistola Aviti, the Latin translation of the account of the Inventio sent
to Avitus by Lucianus, the priest responsible for the discovery of St.
Stephen’s body in 415.
The dream in Sth. 3 represents a variant redaction. It is internally
consistent and reveals an unusually balanced structure. The very sym-
metry of content and the internal logic result, however, in a disparity
between the dream and the previously reported and subsequently
confirmed facts of the burial. From a narrative perspective, the dream
in Sth. 3 is superior to that of the other redactions: not only is every
casket accounted for, but the symbols are fully elucidated; further-
more, the entire account is characterized by a strictly plotted progres-
sion of information. Thus, the gold casket and the red roses fittingly
represent St. Stephen, who was a martyr and now bears the martyr’s
gold crown. The gold caskets filled with white roses symbolize two
saints who did not endure martyrdom, and whom the church classifies
as confessors, namely Nicodemus and Gamaliei himself. White here
does not represent virginity but rather the purity of their devotion to
Christ. Finally, Abibas remained a virgin throughout life and this is
symbolized by the bright silver of the casket and the fragrant saffron.
In the dream reported by Lucianus to Avitus there were four caskets
but the bodies rested in three coffins, because Gamaliel and Abibas
shared a coffin. The clause „ubi ambo positi sumus quasi gemini“
occurs in redaction A of the Epistola Aviti (col. 811). In this respect
the texts in Sth. 15, AM 655, Sth. 2, and AM 661 derive from a
redaction that transmitted the original version of the dream. The more
verbose and deviating text in Sth. 3 derives from a different redaction.
Although Ole Widding had made a similar observation,28 certain com-
28
Ole Widding wrote: „Holm 3 fol. er selvstændig i Forhold til Holm 2 fol. og má
være afskrevet efter et Haandskrift, der ligger forud for det fælles Forlæg for Holm 2 fol.
og AM 661, 4°. Noget sikkert Stemma lader sig ikke opstille" („Et Fragment af Stefanus
Saga,“ p. 155).