Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.10.1979, Blaðsíða 239

213
Schlauch ålyktabi um upptakasloéir soguefnisins. Liklegra virbist a5
ævintyrib muni vera austurlenzkt en russneskt a& upphafi, og sennilega
eru syrlenzka brigbib og hi5 tyrkneska ekki anna5 en stakir fulltruar
leifSar £>ess, sem hafa borizt å prent å Vesturlandamåli af tilviljun.
1 heild stendur DrJ langnæst ævintyrinu eins og f>ab hefur lifab i
munnmælum i Russlandi (og Syrlandi). Mætti Jjvi vi rå as t gimilegt ab
li'ta å soguna sem dæmi um fann sagnaburå ur Austurlondum um
Miklagaråsriki og eftir væringjaleibum å Noråurlond, sem oft hefur
verib ætlazt å um af fræbimonnum, en f o mun mega segja ab aldrei
hafi sannazt meb einu einasta efalausu dæmi. En fessi efi verbur ekki
tekinn af meb DrJ. E>ab er varasamt ab draga ålyktanir af fogn
heimilda, ekki si'zt um feril munnmælasagna, og Sapientes virbist
einnig bera fvi vitni, ab fråsoguefni AT 671 E* hafi verib å sveimi
vibar i Vestur-Evrbpu en å Islandi å fyrri tib, enda fott hugsanlegt sé
ab far hafi verib um abra gerb fess ab ræba.
SUMMARY
This article presents an investigation of the story matter of Drauma-Jons
saga (abbr. DrJ), an Icelandic moral tale of the 14th century. The action of
the saga is as follows:
A rich farmer, who has dreamt of a fire on his land which spread far and
wide, sets out to seek an interpretation from Earl Heinrekr, as was the custom
of the country, Saxland. Although he has not told anyone of the dream, he
meets a young man on the way who is able to relate it and explain its signifi-
cance: there is hidden treasure where the fire began, and the spreading of the
fire indicates how the farmer will let others benefit from these riches. The
young man, whose name is Jon, foresees that the farmer will do him harm by
telling the Earl of their encounter.
The farmer continues his joumey to the Earl who, although not able to tell
the dream before it is told to him, interprets it as Jon did. The farmer then tells
him of Jon, and on his way home he brings Jon the Earl’s invitation to come
and stay with him and his promises of future help. Jon accepts, although he
suspects that no good will come of it.
The Earl receives him well but soon begins to exploit Jon’s gift for his own
aggrandizement as interpreter. Consequently the Earl’s farne now spreads
farther than before - even to the ears of the Emperor.