Studia Islandica - 01.07.1966, Blaðsíða 75

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revelation of Bjgrn the Steward’s guilt is put immediately
after the testing of Dagr’s boast (ÓH 671/10, v.l.) just as in
Snorri’s chapter 156 (ÓH 461 /12—16, 461/23^162/3). These
two interpolations therefore anticipate the passage at the end
of the þáttr (ÓH 681/3-14) which is clearly the proper place
for these speeches to be. Instead of repeating them, this red-
action replaces them at the end of the story with a short
sentence stating simply that the king stayed at Rauðúlfr’s
for three nights and was very impressed with his wisdom
(ÓH 681/3-14, v.l.).
A third redaction of Rauðúlfs þáttr (b2) is found in 325
and 75 c: these two manuscripts also share many variants
against the other seven, see ÓH 660/13-14, 15, 661/2-3,
5-7, 662/3-4, 663/4, 8, 664/10, 12-13, 14, 665/2-3, 666/4,
672/14, 673/1, 3, 674/3, 7, 675/11-12, variant readings.
The text of the þáttr in 325 has been subject to similar
changes to that of redaction bj. It opens with a passage
similar to the first interpolation of redaction b1? although
it is in a different place, which contains further expansion
of the details about Rauðúlfr, his family, and his homestead,
without, however, adding much information of consequence
(ÓH 655/1-3, variant reading). Like redaction bj, 325
omits the sentence at ÓH 657/4-5, which would have partly
repeated the content of the first interpolation. The second
and third interpolations of redaction bx (Rauðúlfr’s family
history and the revelation of Bjprn the Steward’s guilt, taken
from Snorri’s version) are also found in the same places and
with similar wording in 325. A sentence similar to the
fourth interpolation of redaction bi is also found in 325 in
place of the þáittrs original account of these speeches, but it
is much shorter (ÓH 681/3—14, variant reading).
75 c is a defective manuscript and only two passages of
the text of Rauðúlfs þáttr survive in it. It is therefore not
possible to see whether it also had the first, second, and
fourth interpolations found in 325, but since in the parts
that survive these two manuscripts share so many variants