Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1999, Síða 242
222
Part Two
Kuhn, and I will return to this particular problem. The second greatest
discrepancy regards Lokasenna, which has a higher rank in my list than
in Kuhn’s, due to differing calculation of the length of the poem; Kuhn
counted stanzas while I have counted verses, and Lokasenna is in
Ijodahåttr with a norm of 6 verses in each stanza against 8 verses in
other metres. Lokasenna and Vgluspd have the same number of stanzas
(66 each), but Lokasenna has only 396 verses against 538 in VQluspå,
and consequently the frequency of the particle (“reduced deviation”) in
Lokasenna will appear to be higher according to my calculation than it is
in Kuhn’s list. This is also the reason why Gnmnismål is placed higher
in my list.
As for Alvissmål, the discrepancy mainly follows from a difference in
the counting of the particle. In this poem there is a characteristic repeti-
tion of verses, among others the verse qII ofrgkfira, which contains the
particle of, and which is repeated no less than 13 times. Kuhn has count-
ed this repeated line as only one occurrence of the particle, whereas I
have counted it as 13.1 think Kuhn’s decision is a reasonable one, but it
should be remarked that the general formulaic character of a great part
of the Eddie poetry poses a problem with the use of this criterion in gen-
eral. On the one hånd, a particle occurring in a formula will tend to ex-
aggerate its frequency within a certain poem and, more interestingly, if
the use of the particle is to be taken as a reminiscence of traditional
poetical language, it is more likely to occur in formulas than elsewhere.
But if the repeated use of a particle in a formula is to be reduced to one
occurrence it is necessary to treat all the poems in a consistent manner,
and not only Alvissmål, where it is particularly conspicuous. Vafprudnis-
mål, Gnmnismål, Skirnismål, Lokasenna, Prymskvida, VQlundarkvida
and Sigurdarkvida in skamma also have similar repetitions, and the num-
ber of observed particles will have to be reduced in the same manner.13
131 have noticed the following occurrences of particles in verses which are repeated in
more or less identical form:
Vm. 11.3 = 13.3, 15.3 and 17.3; 20.4 = 22.4, 24.4, 26.4, 36.4 and 38.4; 21.2 = 35.2
Grm. 5.3= 12.3 and 16.3
Skm. 17.4=18.4
Ls. 34.3 = 35.3
t>rk. 2.2 = 3.4, 9.10 and 12.4; 7.8 = 8.2; 8.6 =11.6 and 18.8; 26.3 = 28.3
Vkv. 16.1 = 30.3; 24.4 = 34.8
Alv. 9.2 = 11.2, 13.2, 15.2, 17.2, 19.2, 21.2, 23.2, 25.2, 27.2, 29.2, 31.2 and 33.2
Sg. 15.3 = 56.9