Studia Islandica - 01.08.1937, Qupperneq 42

SUMMARY.
I. Ljósvetninga Saga is preserved in two versions, A and O.
Chs. 1—4 are in close agreement in both; chs. 5—12 consist of
an interpolation only found in C. Chs. 13—18 are certainly
indispensable for the theme of the story, but the material re-
ceives such different treatment in A and C, that only one of
these two texts can have belonged to the saga in its original
form. One version or the other must, therefore, have altered
its text in these chapters. The remainder, chs. 19—31, was
probably identical in both versions. In A there are two laeunae
and the final chapters (2178—31) are missing, but closer con-
sideration shows this to be no hindrance for the investigation
made here.
The present author censures the method adopted by editors
of Ljósvetninga Saga, in breaking up the A version in their edi-
tions and, instead of its central passages, inserting the hetero-
genous passage from C, chs. 5—18.
II. Interpolations. Since the interpolation chs. 5—12 is not
necessary for the theme of the story in C, it appears to be a
question of minor importance when these chs. were inserted,
and they may, therefore, be disregarded in a discussion of the
origin of the textual variations in chs. 13—18.
On the other hand, the author is of the opinion that the crit-
ics have not succeeded in showing further heterogeneous chap-
ters or any interpolation in those passages where A and C have
a common text. On this point, he is in total disagreement with
Adolfine Erichsen (Untersuchungen zur Ljósvetninga S'aga),
but he agrees with her that chs. 22—31 are part of the original
saga.
III. The heterogeneous version. It is a disputed question
whether it is in A or C that the text of chs. 13—18 has ’been