Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1979, Side 78

86
The Case of »Hernilds kvæði
8 Deð var Serklands kongin
han domer dómen den verste:
anten skal de no Hermoð hengje
ellá slíte með heste.
9 Til svarað Hæge fruga,
i breiðe benkin hon stoð:
skal Hermoð sá af garði fara
deð tikist vera sá vont.
10 Inki skal du Hermoð hengje,
og inki slíte með heste,
men lat en laupe lande-milljom
deð tikist meg vera deð beste.14
The situation appears quite different in the Faroese text of
»Hermundur illi« from Fugloyarbók (st. 21 and 22 cited
above), because we are not told anything about Halga’s kind
feelings for Hermundur. Moreover, when her father asks her
to choose one of two punishments for Hermundur (exile or
being pulled apart between horses), she simply picks one of
the proferred options, exile, with the comment that »it will
be less trouble.« There is no reason in the Faroese text not to
believe that Halga is merely trying to help her father deal
with his troublesome nephew. The impression that Halga does
not care at all for Hermundur deepens when in a subsequent
scene he goes to say goodbye to her:
27 Hermundur stendur á hallargólvi
við fagnað, tukt og sinni:
»Sit væl, jomfrú Halga,
tú mást væl á meg minnast!«
28 »Tað eru hvørki tjóvar ei trælar,
ei friður í hesum landi,
fyri hvat skal eg minnast á teg,
í útlandi ert tú vandur?«