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Hollander: Grautrekssaga and Hrólfssaga. 123
is at all close to what we must suppose was the original
version of the Gautrekssaga. It is pointed out by himself
that at least one longer passage — the one concerning Refs
first visit to Gautrekr — beyond peradventure is an inter-
polation *). Consequently, nothing stands in the way of a
supposition — which I shall motivate immediately — that
the copyist of L did not find the Hrosskell episode in the
original short version, about which — even after the pains-
taking investigation of Ranisch — we know far too little
to postulate the contents precisely.
A strong presumption for thinking that the Hrosskell
episode was not contained in the original is found in the
fact that this episode is so manifestly interpolated. The ori-
ginal author of the saga was by no means unskilful. So
why — granting that he composed his story with the Hrólfs-
saga lying before him — why should he not have given
a more organic connection to the episode in question, which
he could have done easily — providing he chose to do so
at all!
Another matter. It is worthy of note that the episode
is inserted at different points in the similar narratives of L
and the MSS. of the longer version. In these (AbC), it is
inserted after the brief and matter of fact account of Gaut-
reks first marriage, and of the daughter who is born to
him: hun óx upp ined fbdur sinum, ok pótti hun en bezti
kostr par i Gautlandi. Gautrekr etc. — follows the Hross-
kell episode. Then: Gautrekr konungr stýrir nú riki sinu
um mörg år ok sitr nú um kyrt, par til at dróttning ken-
nir sóttar, ok ei lyktar fyrr hennar sótt, en dróttning er
daud út borin. — It will be seen that the whole Hrosskell
episode is not organic here, but may be lifted out bodily;
with the effect only of decidedly improving the narrative.
*) 1. c. xxix, ”möglicherweise veranlasst durch die der Refssage ver-
wandte Saga von Auðunn en vestfirdski —
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