Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Page 36
One need not speculate regarding the reasons for the translation of Le
mantel mautaillié. The primary manuscripts of Mottuls saga agree on
three points: that the tale is about a curious and amusing episode - frå
einum kynligum ok gamansamligum atburd - which took place at King
Arthur’s court; that the translation was undertaken to provide amuse-
ment - til gamans ok skemmtanar - for the audience; that Håkon himself
had requested the translator at gera nokkut gaman - to provide some
entertainment (p. 2).
Equating a tale with entertainment is not unique to Mottuls saga. An
intriguing change of text in Geitarlauf vis-å-vis Chievrefueil reveals what
function the Strengleikar were meant to have. Geitarlauf concludes with
the observation that the author has now reported what he knows to be
true concerning this entertainment - um pessa skemtan. The translation
of the French lai (v. 118) with skemmtan can hardly be a mistake, for the
word lai is rendered at other times accurately by either strengleikr or
[jod. The general introduction to the Strengleikar supports the notion of
story as entertainment. Listener as well as performer were to derive
pleasure from the tales, which were recited to the accompaniment of all
manner of stringed instruments - ser oc odrum til skemtanar pæssa lifs
(‘for their own amusement in this life and that of others’). Moreover, the
author aspired to immortality, since he hoped that his work would con-
tribute to the amusement and erudition of future generations - til skemt-
anar oc margfrædes vidrkomande pioda. To be sure, the reference to
erudition makes us stop short. Perhaps King Håkon did in faet consider
the lais exemplary matter for instruction; perhaps he did after all wish to
present in these tales, as Leach suggested, “models of chivalry and courtesy
to his eruder Norwegian people.”9 Despite appeals to the magnificent
conduct of those who lived in former times, in the “good old days,” how-
ever, the author is hardly ambiguous in declaring what moved him to
undertake the task. Because in former days more wonderful feats and
unheard-of adventures happened, pa syndize oss at fræda verande oc
vidrkomande pæim sogum er margfroder menn gærdo um athæve
pæirra sem i fyrnskunni varo (‘it seemed to us proper to instruct those
who live now and are to come in those stories which elever men made
concerning the deportment of those who lived in former days’). The
author’s aim is to introduce to his audience an as yet unknown collection
9 “The Lais Bretons in Norway,” Studies in Language and Literature in Honor of Marga-
ret Schlauch, eds. M. Brahmer, S. Helsztynski, J. Krzyzanowski (Warsaw: Polish Scientific
Publishers, 1966), p. 212.
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