Editiones Arnamagnæanæ. Series A - 01.06.2003, Blaðsíða 301
KNOWLEDGE OF JÓNS SAGA
259*
Latin or in both, he obviously bears witness to its existence in some
form similar to that found in the L recension of Jóns saga.
4. Egils þáttr ok Tófa. (i) Texts. This þáttr exists in ÓHLeg., chs. 50-
52 (1922, 47-51; 1982, 114-20); in Flat., Tómasskinna and Bergsbók
(their texts printed ÓHJH, 778-92); and in summary form in Hkr. II,
ch. 155. It is difficult to account for its appearance in these numerous
derivatives without assuming that it was included in the “oldest” Óláfs
saga helga and the subsequent work of Abbot Styrmir. Cf. e.g. Sig-
urður Nordal, Om Olaf den helliges Saga, 65-66, 124-25; Bjarni Aðal-
bjarnarson, Hkr. II, xix, n. 1; and, more cautiously, Þórhallur Vil-
mundarson, If. XIII, clxxvi-clxxx. The Norwegian text, ÓHLeg., dat-
ed c. 1225-50, was independently derived, undoubtedly with some
abridgment, from the “oldest” saga. According to Þórhallur Vil-
mundarson, Tómasskinna (c. 1450-1500) and Bergsbók (c. 1400-25)
probably shared a sub-archetype, and this sub-archetype shared another
with Flat. (c. 1390), ultimately derived from Styrmir’s book. The fol-
lowing passages are relevant to Jóns saga, S 1/48-71, L ch. 5, H ch. 3.
They are reproduced without indication of abbreviation and with some
slight standardisation of spelling.
ÓHLeg. (1922, 47/30-48/6): Tove ... var með Ægli um vætrenn.
foro utan um sumaret. þa reð Olafr harallz sonr firir norege ... þæir
kvamo um haf þat er sact at kona hans fœre með hanum. oc þorlaug
oc dotter þæirra þorgiærðr. Konongr byðr tova til sín. Oc baðom
þæím Ægli. En konom þæira varo læigð hærbirgi. konongr virði þa
mikils oc þotte Ægill vera mærkilegr maðr. þat var æitt sinni at
konongr þottezt finna oglæði a þæím oc spyr hann hvat þæim er.
Ægill sægir. Mer þœtte þat mæiri some at kona min være her með
oss. oc dotter. En firir vanda saker þa kunnum ver þess varla at
biðia. konongr svarar kvaðzt þat vist vilia. Nu fara þær þangat. litr
nu konongr til bamsens oc sægir at þat man æigi giævo laust vera
oc sva ræyndizc.
Flat. (ÓHJH, 778/2-3, 9-25): A einhueriu sumre er sagt at Egill son
Hallz af Sidu for utan af Islande til Noregs med þeim manni er
Tofui het ... þeir urdu uel Ræidfara um hafit. koma vid Noreg ok
foro afund Olafs konungs tok hann uit þeim uel ok baud þeim med
ser vera ok þeckiazst þeir þat. suo segia sumer menn at Þorlaug