Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1999, Side 94

74
Part One
particular importance for the more general question of dating.7 It is
worthwhile noting that in the early 1860s Benedikt Grondal violently
opposed this dating, based on the history of “half-mythic” persons, but
the general setting of Grondal’s article is a strongly nationalistic opposi-
tion to pre-Icelandic datings in general.8
Keyser did not present any scheme of development for the various
Eddie poems, and he recognized that the dating of particular poems could
hardly be more than speculation, but like most scholars he presumed that
Vgluspd was among the oldest poems, perhaps from the 5th century, or
even older.9 Hårbardsljod was taken by Keyser as an example of a heath-
en Norseman’s cheerfulness, but he thought that its relative frivolity
might in the long run have had a destructive effeet on the firmness and
importance of the old religion and perhaps contributed - through the help
of Providence - to smoothing the road for the coming of Christianity
(Keyser 1866: 141). Finally, Solarljod was composed, according to Key-
ser, on the dividing line between the two religions: “one is well-nigh
forced to admit, by a devotee of the æsir converted to Christianity”.10
7 Already in 1839 Keyser had dated it to a period “not later than 700” on the same argu-
ments (Keyser 1839: 293), but according to Rafn this dating was first made by P. F.
Suhm: “Tous les historiens du Nord, y compris Arne Magnusson, célébre par ces excellen-
tes critiques, ont été d’accord å reconnaitre l’authenticité de ce poéme dont l’origine
remonte å l’antiquité payenne. Cependant ni Torfæus ni Schoning qui ont tant mérité de
l’histoire et de l’antiquité du Nord par leurs recherches savantes, n’ont essayé d’en indi-
quer exactement Påge. Suhm est le premier qui, en examinant tout ce qui pourrait éelaireir
cette question, soit parvenu å un résultat. Il rapporte ainsi l’åge de ce poéme au 8me siécle,
quoiqu’il y ait aussi des indices seion lesquels il pourrait appartenir å un åge plus reculé”
(Rafn 1850: 6; cf. Magnusen 1821-23, vol. 3: 7). I have not been able to locate the dating
in Suhm’s writings. In the third volume of his Critisk Historie af Danmark udi den heden-
ske Tid (1776: 404) he assumes that HyndluljoS was composed in the 9th century: “[...]
den gamle Sang Hindlu Leoth, som er vel giort i det 9 Sæculo [...]”.
8 “[...] at slutte sig til digtenes forfattelsestid i overensstemmelse med de deri nævnte tids-
forhold kan heller ikke lade sig gore. ti når P. A. Munch [...] antager, at HyndluljoS må være
fra Sigurd Rings dage, så er det virkelig lojerligt at sætte en halvmytisk person som tidsbe-
stemmelse, ikke at tale om, at på den tid, når vi endelig skulde tale om en sådan tid, kunde
sproget slet ikke være blevet så udviklet, som det er i HyndluljoS” (Grondal 1864: 375).
9 “At Eddadigtene maa antages at være Verker af mange forskjellige Skalde, er allerede
paapeget, ligesom og, at de efter al Sandsynlighed ere af meget forskjellig Alder; men
yderligere og med nogenlunde Bestemthed at ville klassificere dem efter deres indbyrdes
Aldersforhold er udentvivl et forgjæves Arbeide. Man kan saaledes med god Grund anta-
ge, at Vøluspaa er et af de ældste, om ikke det ældste Digt i Samlingen, og at dets Alder
maaskee kan stige op til det 5te Aarhundrede, ja maaskee høiere” (Keyser 1866: 269).
10 “Man tvinges næsten til i Digteren at tænke sig en til Christendommen omvendt Asa-
dyrker” (Keyser 1866: 261).