Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Blaðsíða 170
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As for the second possibility, the “washing away of the biood” in O is
a far more original and striking description than the “burning, hanging,
and beheading” of Km s. In my opinion, the saga text is derived from that
of O, and the additional details in Ktns are due to someone who could
make neither head nor tail of the O verse Puis od les ewes lavat les prez
del s an c.
O v. 1918:
Granz unt les nés e lees les oreilles,
is translated:
heir hafa stor andlit ok leiSiligar brynn (p. 5202).
“Brows” for “ears” is a very free translation, but it is unlikely that
the translator did not know such a common word as oreille. The other
texts omit or change the verse, so we have only O for comparison here.
Stengel changes oreille to sorcille on the authority of the saga, but this is
hazardous even according to Stengel’s own classification of the versions.
It is more likely that brynn in the saga is based on a mistake, les oreilles
having been read les {s) oreilles by the translator.
Roland’s speech in vv. 1922-31 has been changed and abridged:
1922: go dist Rollant: “Ci recevrums matyrie,
E or sai ben n’avons guaires a vivre;
Mais tut seit fel cher ne se vende primes!
1925: Ferez, seignurs, des espees furbies,
Si calengez e voz mors e voz vies,
Que dulce France par nus ne seit hunie!
Quant en cest camp vendrat Caries, mi sire, etc.
Kms:
Pi mælti Rollant viS Oliver: Nu veit ek hat, segir hann,
at hér fara banar vårir;
nu verbi så ragr er eigi seir sik sem dyrast,
ok låtum hat segja blåmenn, hå er heir koma til Spanialands,
at f>eir moettu Rollant ok hans li8i (p. 5203-®).
The two verses 1922-23 are summarized; v. 1924 is well translated,
chiefly hecause the translator here had a phrase in his own language which
Roland, not from an older and more original Prise de Nobles (or Entrée en
Espagne). For the Entrée en Espagne, cp. Bédier: Lég. ép. III, 3rd. ed., pp. 115-20.