Studia Islandica - 01.07.1966, Side 61

59
fered substantially from that which survives. It is in ac-
cordance with what we know of Snorri’s methods that he
should omit everything in the story that had no bearing on
his immediate purpose: it would have been surprising if he
had kept such episodes as King Óláfr’s dream and the boast-
ing episode in such a work as his Óláfs saga. On the other
hand it is difficult to imagine that RauSúlfs þáttr can ever
have lacked these episodes, for there is little point in the story
without them. The conventional “frame” story is obviously
only the excuse for the much more interesting episodes of
the boasting and the dream, which were clearly the author’s
main interest. These are not merely decorative motives that
that could have been added afterwards, for they are the
centre of the story. It is therefore unlikely that the version of
the story known to Snorri lacked any of the episodes in the
extant version.1
Snorri has added nothing to the details he found in Rauð-
úlfs þáttr. But he has made some changes. He has altered the
order of events, making Rauðúlfr tell the king about his
family history immediately after the king’s arrival at his
home; and putting Rauðúlfr’s sons’ statement of their ac-
complishments immediately after this. The compression of
the story has also resulted in the testing of these boasts ap-
parently taking place at the same time, instead of the next
day as in the þáttr. Another change Snorri has made is the
transference of Rauðúlfr’s accomplishment (the ability to
interpret dreams) to his son Sigurðr, who is therefore given
two accomplishments.2 All specific references to Rauðúlfr’s
accomplishments Snorri has omitted. His third change is the
most significant. In RaúSúlfs þáttr, when the king asks Dagr
(in order to test his boast) what defect he can see in his
1 Cf. Sigurður Nordal, Om Olaf den helliges Saga (Kobenhavn
1914), pp. 86—88. A contrary opinion was expressed by Finnur Jónsson,
Den oldnorske og oldislandske Litteraturs Historie (Kobenhavn 1894—
1902), II 645, III 90.
2 See p. 71 below. Many of Snorri’s changes have influenced later
redactors of the text of RauSúlfs þáttr, see below pp. 71—75.