Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Qupperneq 81
the next morning does he learn that he cannot depart until he has meas-
ured himself in combat against the two sons of giants. These brutes have
already overpowered as many knights as there are maidens on the mead-
ow. The episode is enigmatic because a substantial section of the romance
has been deleted by the translator - at least that is the conclusion one
draws on the basis of the vellum redaction of Ivens saga. Only the paper
manuscript transmits vv. 5240-5346 of Yvain - in reduced form to be sure
and with several modifications of content. The story that Iven hears, and
that transmits the content of 96 vv. of Yvain is as follows:
“Pat bar svå til at einn konungr, Reinion at nafni, af riki
Ungaria, rei5 med sitt herfolk i fiennan stad, en hann forsk
fyrir tveimr blåmdnnum bannsettum, er honum bu5u einvfgi,
en hann bardisk vidr på ok vard um sidir sigradr, ok leysti lif
sitt medr J>vi at hann skyldi senda J>eim Jorju hundrud meyja
hinna fridastu ok kurteisastu til )>rælkunar, j^ar til at einn
riddari kæmi ok frelsti oss, ok bæri af Jjeim bådum, ok fengi
(?eim yfirkomit, en så hefir enn engi ordit. Nu ridid herra til
eins husbonda, sem hér er skammt frå ydr, ok munu pér få
|3ar godar vidtokur, en å morgun eigi Joér J)etta einvigi hefja
ef Joér vilid oss frelsa.” “Ek skal at visu,” segir Iven, “svå
gera.” (126:28-127:22)
(“It so happened that a certain king named Reinion, of the king-
dom of Hungary, rode to this place with his warriors. However, he
came to naught because of two accursed black men who challenged
him to a duel. He fought against them but was finally defeated. To
ransom his life, he had to agree to send them three hundred of the
loveliest and most courtly maidens as slaves. This situation was to
continue until a knight came who could rescue us by surpassing the
two and conquering them. But no such person has come yet. Ride
now, my lord, to the master of the house, who is a short distance
from here. There you will be well received, but tomorrow you will
have to fight this duel, if you want to rescue us.” “I am certainly,”
says Iven, “going to do that.”)
Given the above, the episode - that is, as we know it from Kolbing’s
editions as well as the popular Icelandic edition that is based on Kolbing -
loses its aura of mystery. The translator had followed the French text; to
blame for the puzzling interlude and Iven’s seemingly heartless behavior
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