Studia Islandica - 01.06.1956, Blaðsíða 66

64
tion 3 — it is most likely that they come from arál
tradition.
When the author decided to include the Skúta-episode
in his work, he was confronted with the desirability to
make some preliminary remarks. He found the facts
ready at hand, because they were common knowledge.
This amounts to saying that the story of V. GL. ch. 16
and its introduction derive from different sources; the
first from a written þáttr, the second from an oral one,
or just from memory.
17. The einhleypingr.
V. Gl. mentions the man who comes to Skúta, and
eventually becomes his sendimaðr to Glúmr, in general
terms. He is an emMey'pingr who tells he is a vígamaðr
and feels uneasy in his own district.
R. on the other hand not only mentions his name:
Ásbjorn, but, and this is more important, goes on with
the statement that he is a relative of Þorlaug, Skúta’s
former wife, from whom he is separated. He asks help
from Skúta on the ground that he and Þorlaug have
given him their protection before. So they know each
other, and it must have been an easy matter for Skúta
to come forward with his suggestions. The more easily
he could do so because the man Ásbjorn, a relative of
Þorlaug, undoubtedly has known her father quite well.
It is quite in keeping with this situation when in R.
Skúta makes some additional remarks about Glúm’s
character.
In V. Gl. the flugumaðr is introduced in such a stereo-
typed and off-hand manner, that one finds difficulty in
seeing here an abbreviation of an almost indispensable
link in the story.
18. The weapon Fluga.
The second instance in ch. 26 where the author of R.