Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Síða 225
exigencies of the structure of a proper saga: despite the death of the
lovers - who, the author assures us, now enjoy each other’s love and
friendship, compliments of a merciful God - the saga can end with an
epilogue that briefly relates the fortunes of Kalegras Tristramsson and his
children (see pp. 128-29).
The author of the Saga af Tristram ok lsodd demonstrates in his treat-
ment of the Tristan legend that he was well-versed in the literature of his
day, although whether in oral or written form cannot be determined. He
not only knew the Norwegian Tristrams saga but also other romances
from which he borrowed motifs and situations in order to create a version
of the Tristan legend that deviates strikingly in content and structure
from the better known Norwegian saga. The author of Erex saga and the
author of the Icelandic Saga af Tristram share the same attitude - albeit
in differing degree - towards their source material: neither considered it
necessary to adhere strictly either to content or structure of the original.
Whereas the author of Erex saga maintained the spirit of Arthurian
romance, despite many changes, the author of the Icelandic Saga af
Tristram was iconoclastic in his approach to the legend. The author of
Erex saga deleted, combined, and transformed, for example, narrative
elements from three robber episodes - two from Erec et Enide and one
from Pidriks saga - to arrive at a new synthesis; yet the episode is imbued
with the same chivalric idealism as found in the French source. The
changes in the content of the various episodes in the Icelandic Saga af
Tristram result, however, in a metamorphosis of the tale from tragic
romance to an irreverent parody.
Erex saga and the Icelandic Tristrams saga are related not only by
virtue of their authors’ cavalier attitude toward source material but also
by their stylistic similarity. Neither work is characterized by the rhythmi-
cal, euphonious language of the courtly style common to the riddarasogur
that were produced at the court of Håkon Håkonarson of Norway. On
the contrary, in their laconic treatment of their respective subjects, the
two sagas are related stylistically to the native sagas.22 The alliteratively
embellished, rhythmical prose of the Norwegian Tristrams saga, for ex-
ample, or of Ivens saga has been replaced by a straightforward prose
largely devoid of lyrical expression. The extent to which Erex saga diver-
ges stylistically from the Tristram-group becomes evident if one com-
22 See Einar 6l. Sveinsson, “Viktors Saga ok Blåvus. Sources and Characteristics,” in
Jonas Kristjånsson, ed. Viktors saga ok Blåvus, p. CCVII; Paul Schach,“The Saga af Tris-
tram ok lsodd. Summary or Satire?” p. 351.
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