Studia Islandica - 01.06.1956, Side 24

22
but when they have grown up they travel from country
to country and make a fine impression wherever they
come, return home and consider themselves of more im-
portance than the chieftains. Eyvindr Bjarnason rode
past here, over the river near Skálavað, with a shield
so beautiful that its brilliancy shone brightly; he is
looking so important he would be a fit object for one’s
revenge’. The author adds: ‘The servant woman talks
on with ardour’.
This is a hvot, an instigation, but not directly addres-
sed to whom it is meant for, by an anonymous servant
who has no right or reason to be a busy-body like that.
Yet, Hrafnkell immediately goes into action.
A keen sense of humour, perceptible elsewhere in the
narrative as well, has put its stamp on this scene. This
woman’s speech, full of arrogance, is a parody of a real
heroine's hvot. It should be noted that only two other
women are mentioned in passing in this saga; this makes
the part played by this servant all the more remarkable.
Of the total number of 424 periods in the narrative
only seven contain 50 or more syllables (one other:
49 syllables).
The first, the opening sentence of ch. 1, is a pedigree,
with appositional phrases centring around a proper
name, and with two subordinating conjunctions only.
It is, of course, by no means typical of any author’s
style. The same applies to the second and third, in ch. 8,
describing journeys and containing a series of place-
names. The two, in ch. 13 and 20, cannot be taken into
account either, as they are no constructions, but merely
accumulations of place-indicators.
So only two periods of interest remain.
The one is the last sentence of ch. 8, in which the
deplorable state of mind of Sámr and Þorbjom is de-
scribed and the reason given: everyone has refused them
help (53 syll., 34 words). The other is the fifth sentence