Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Blaðsíða 105
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In both these cases, Bb has introduced stock phrases of the ordinary saga
type. The peculiar and to the editor of Bb probably incomprehensible
frjdlslendingr24, has been changed to the commonplace kappi, and the faet
that he is not named is stressed; b has even taken the trouble to remedy
this deficiency, as it has also done in the case of the alma^urs de Mariane
of v. 909, whom b calls “Modan” (Unger’s ed. p. 504, note 14).
More important is the disappearance of Archbishop Turpin from the
battie of Roncevaux in the Bb version. The editor had read in the Michaels
saga that Turpin did not take part in the battie, but accompanied Charle-
magne and the army. He interpolated a passage from the Michaels saga,
describing how the news was brought to the emperor and the archbishop,
and insisting on the correctness of the Speculum Historiale account of this
event. The passage is inserted after the description of Roland’s death, i.e.
after the translation of v. 2388, while vv. 2389-96 are omitted in Bb. But
because of this interpolation, the author of Bb had to change or suppress
all the translated verses where Turpin was mentioned. Because of a mis-
take made by the original translator in rendering vv. 2039 and 2047-48,
Gualter, li niés Droun had become Valteri systurson hans (i.e. Turpins)
ok son }>css manns er Dragon hét (Kms p. 5214), and the remanieur now
proceeded to substitute “Valteri” for his uncle in all the verses which he
did not simply suppress 243. In this way, about 20 verses were omitted in Bb
and 25 changed.
In all, there are about 150 verses of the Chanson de Roland where the
a reading is definitely better than that of Bb25, including the 25 that have
been changed to suppress the name of Turpin.
The following verses have been completely omitted in Bb-. Vv. 9, 88,
112add., 129-33, 183-86, 196-200add., 202-09, 212-16, 221, 228-29,
24 The word frjdlslendingr is only known from the Kms, as far as I know (see
Fritzner). It is found twice in th<’ Runzivals pdttr (pp. 5041 and 5107), in both
cases as a translation of amurafle (vv. 894 and 1269), and once in Guitalin (p.
41024: stefnir til sin ollum konungum---------hertugum ok jarlutn ok frjålslending-
um), possibly as a translation of the same term. I cannot explain why the translator
has chosen this word. Bb always changes it, to kappi or hofSingi. The term is
unknown to the Norwegian (and Icelandic) laws; the meaning is presumably
“franklin”.
24a In two places, Kms pp. 5018 and 5126, the remanieur has apparently forgotten
to omit Turpin.
22 I do not include cases where a has a reading that cannot be proved to be better.
The number of inferior variants in Bb is probably far greater.