Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Side 222
(There was a man with the queen who was called Kolir. He worked
at what he was born to and he did not know of any kinsman of his
who had had any other work. He looked after the pigs and was
bound to the land as a slave. The pigsty was so situated that it stood
by the sea. Queen Flurent had given instructions that Kollr should
tell her first whatever he saw that was worth mentioning.)
The knights of the Table Round would have raised their respective eye-
brows had King Arthur chosen Kollr for the all-important role of keeping
His Majesty apprised of world events. Yet, time and again we are con-
fronted in the Icelandic Tristram by the unorthodox, by a novel twist
given to familiar situations. The ability of the hero to be victorious
against overwhelming odds is above question in the Arthurian riddara-
sogur - with the exception of the Icelandic Tristram. We read that King
Engres, Isodd’s brother, has vowed to give his sister in marriage to any
man who can kill the dragon. To balance the king’s announcement of the
prize, Isodd’s mother promulgates a warning: no one is to tell Tristram
about the dragon -
... J5vf at henni [rotti ekki orvænt, vi5 {?at at Tristram var
framgjarn i mannraunum at hann mundi å hættu leggja, ef
hann fengi af rådit orminn. (ch. 10, p. 50)
(... because it seemed to her not unlikely, seeing that Tristram was
eager in trials of danger, that he would expose himself to the dan-
ger to see if he could manage to put the reptile to death.)
No other explanation is given, and we assume that Flurent fears for
Tristram’s life.
The expression of doubt in Tristram’s prowess by a suppliant bestows a
farcical aspect on Tristram’s final adventure, in which he receives a
wound that is eventually to claim his life. Tristram is approached by a
stranger, also bearing the name Tristram, who tells the hero that he has
traveled far to find him, because vér hofum miklafrétt af frækleik ydrum,
en ek pykkjumsk mjok purfa ydvars lidsinnis (ch. 13, p. 72 ‘we have
heard your valor praised, and I think that I am in great need of your
help’). The stranger seeks Tristram’s aid against seven brothers who have
driven him from his kingdom. He concludes his request with the words,
ok pætti mér pin lidveizla allgod, ef pu skalt berjask vid iij, en ek vid iiij
(‘and it would seem to me that your support would be invaluable if you
208