Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1999, Page 336

316
Part Two
As usual an array of different explanations for the occurrence of these
forms in different kinds of poetry was presented. In the 14th century
there simply was no hostility to the type any more, neither was there in
Ijodahåttr, which was explained by stylistic considerations. For one sol-
itary occurrence from the Orkneys (Hjgrungavågr in Jomsvikinga-
dråpa) geographical reasons seem to be invoked (Kuhn 1939: 197, 205
= 1969: 499, 505). In the “foreign” group, however, the most important
explanation is found in the process of translation; the type occurs in con-
texts where the corresponding verse in West-Germanic would have been
normal (e.g. veggndum corresponds to a verb with long root syllable).
Although this explanation holds only for a part of the occurrences, Kuhn
found significant the faet that it explains a considerably greater propor-
tion in the “foreign” group than in other cases (including Ijodahåttr,
Kuhn 1939: 201 = 1969: 501-502).
In the “Eddie praise poems”, where the type is found both in Ijoda-
håttr verse and in fornyrdislag, influence from Ijodahåttr is probable,
but so according to Kuhn is influence from “foreign” poetry as well
(Kuhn 1939: 198-99 = 1969: 500).
It is interesting to note that the development of the word Sigurdr also
offers a possible explanation of the type. We have seen that the first syl-
lable of this composite name has been shortened, first in bisyllabic case
forms and later in trisyllabic forms. This inevitably means that even if it
was meant to be long in a certain verse, it might be perceived as short,
thus apparently attesting the metrical form in question and giving a prec-
edence for similar forms. Kuhn thought that originally the type should
be explained by external influence, but Sigurdr may have helped in
making the type more widespread.28 On the other hånd this allegedly
corroborative explanation threatens to make the primary explanation re-
dundant.
The isolated type fyr konungi appears to be a particularly interesting
28 “Damit gewinnen wir zugleich eine wesentlich breitere Grundlage flir die Erklarung
des eigenartigen Verstyps fyr konungi: Die Ersetzung der alteren Formen * *Sigvardar und
*Sigverdi - oder ihrer altsachsischen oder auch altdanischen Entsprechungen - durch Sig-
urdar und Sigurdi hat die geringe Zahl von Versen dieser Form, die bei der Ubertragung
von Liedem aus einer westgermanischen Mundart entstanden waren oder sonst ent-
standen, in den Liedem der Sigurdsage derartig vermehrt, daB die Dichter, die an diesem
Stoffe weiterdichteten, es wagten, neue Verse dieses Typs zu bilden” (Kuhn 1939: 203 =
1969: 503).