Studia Islandica - 01.06.1956, Blaðsíða 55

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graph, but by an equally striking similarity within the
second graph.
The graph of V. Gl. 13-16 is rather different from the
rest of V. Gl., while the one of R. is much more similar
to the rest of this saga, except of course in the first two
groups (1-10).
1.3. Should M be a version shortened from a longer V. Gl.
(V C), it would not only have told less, it would also
have altered the length of periods in such a way that
the reduction was, in the epic part:
ch. 7-9 : from 26.82 to about 20.—.
15: „ 38.— „ 12.71.
16: „ 23.88 „ 16.51.
17-18 : „ 27.22 „ about 17.—.
ch. 28, the epilogue, shows a negligible difference.
The shortening, then, would have been carried through
not only in ch. 15 and 16, but in other parts as well.
Nowhere, however, to such an extravagant degree
as in the four successive chapters 13-16, the two þættir.
During the process the tenses would have been main-
tained as they were.
In the corresponding parts of M, 26.17—28.9 and V
98.20-100.24 occur 39 and 32 periods respectively, con-
taining 636 and 771 syllables.
This amounts to 16.31 syllables per period for M,
24.1 for V, 6.30 syllables per phrase for M, 7.56 for V.
1.4. The five extra passages of R. mentioned in section 8.4
contain in all 7 periods of epic narrative, 3 periods
in direct speech. The total of words amounts to 231
(146 + 85), the syllables are 328 (206 + 122) in number.
This gives 32.8 syllables as an average length of periods.
Ten periods are not quite sufficient material for sub-
stantial remarks to be made.