Studia Islandica - 01.06.1994, Blaðsíða 9
PREFACE
The work presented here originated as a PhD thesis writ-
ten for the Center for Oversættelsesvidenskab og Leksiko-
grafi, University of Copenhagen. As it now appears, it has
undergone considerable revision, principally in the form
of deletion and condensation, in order to shorten a work of
over 400 pages into a more publishable, and hopefully
readable, size.
One can as a rule say things more clearly the second time
around, and use fewer words to do so, and I doubt not that
the published version is more accessible than the original
thesis as a result of the emendations. Obviously, however,
there are some sections missing, including a fairly lengthy
discussion of Icelandic sagas as a genre, little of which was
felt relevant for an edition in this series.
In revising I followed a number of suggestions made by
one of the adjudicators of my thesis, Ástráður Eysteinsson,
associate professor in comparative literature at the
University of Iceland. The original version was also read
and commented on, in whole or in part, by my thesis advi-
sor, Viggo Hjprnager Pedersen, of the University of
Copenhagen, and the late Agnete Loth, of Det Arna-
magnæanske Institut. To all of them I owe many thanks.
What faults readers may find in the edition at hand are, of
course, entirely my own responsibility.
Both during the writing of the original thesis and its
revision for printing I was fortunate enough to have access
to the library and facilities of Det Arnamagnæanske
Institut. For this, and not the least for the companionship
and assistance of both the academic and office staff of the
Institute, I should like to express my sincere gratitude. In
order to undertake the necessary revision I received a grant