Studia Islandica - 01.06.1994, Blaðsíða 131
129
After a visit to Bolli and Guðrún ends with the stealing
of Kjartan’s prized sword konungsnautr, Oláfr again tries
to pacify Kjartan, saying:
látum eigi aðra eiga at því at hlæja, at vér leggim slíkt til deilu, þar
er til móts eru vinir ok frændr. (142)
This incident is followed by the realisation that Hrefna’s
headdress has disappeared. Again, the plea for peace: er um
heilt bezt at binda, frœndi (143) from Óláfr, and Kjartan’s
scarcely veiled threat to Bolli, þik kveð ek at þessu, Bolli
frcendi; þú munt vilja gera til vár drengiligar heðan ífrá en
hingat til (143).
After the enmity has increased yet more several chapters
onward Kjartan insists on riding home without a protective
following, saying Eigi mun Bolli, frœndi minn, slá bana-
ráðum við mik (151). Bolli refuses to take part in an attack
on Kjartan fyrir frœndsemis sakar (150) until bluntly
threatened by Guðrún with rejection. When Kjartan has
been ambushed by the Ósvífrssons, but Bolli takes no part,
he taunts him with the words Bolli frændi, hvífórtu heim-
an, ef þú vildir kyrr standa hjá? (153).
The climax of this carefully constructed sequence falls
in with, and thus adds force and substance to, the climax of
the saga itself: Bolli finally turns on Kjartan. Kjartan’s
reply sums up the essence of the situation as he casts off his
weapons:
Víst ætlar þú nú, frændi, níðingsverk at gera, en miklu þykkir mér
betra at þiggja banaorð af þér, frændi, en veita þér þat. (154)'
What happens to such frequent and steadily increasing
numbers of references on the theme of blood relationship in
translation? Obviously not all of the echoes can be retain-
' In her article on apposition in the sagas, Anne Heinrichs speculates on
the possibility that this construction was systematically employed to indicate
strong emotion. She cites especially examples from Gísla saga: Þorgrímr er