Kroesen, Jacoba M.C.. Inleiding

• Author: Kroesen, Jacoba M.C.
• Title: Inleiding
• Published in: De saga van Egil, zoon van Skalla-Grím.
• Series: Leidse Germanistische en Anglistische reeks van de Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden, deel VIII
• Editors: C.F.P. Stutterheim, C. Soeteman and A.G.H. Bachrach
• Place, Publisher: Leiden, Universitaire pers
• Year: 1970
• Pages: IX-LXXIX
• E-text:
• Reference: Kroesen, Jacoba M.C. 1970. „Inleiding.“ De saga van Egil, zoon van Skalla-Grím, pp. IX-LXXIX. Leidse Germanistische en Anglistische reeks van de Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden, VIII. Eds. C.F.P. Stutterheim, C. Soeteman og A.G.H. Bachrach. Leiden, Universitaire pers, 1970.

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Annotation

The article is a four-chapter introduction to the Dutch translation of Egils saga, built on others’ academic articles and the author’s personal research. The first chapter presents the general historical settings of the saga with an emphasis on the relationship between the kingdom of Norway and the republic of Iceland. Kroesen explains the episodes in the life of Egil’s family that shape the construction of the saga. In the second chapter, Kroesen takes a closer look at the poet Egil and explains the use and role of poetry in the Icelandic sagas. She uses the poetry of Egil as an example and identifies figurative language, ambiguity and emotions as its most important characteristics. The third chapter begins with an overview and explanation of the oral and written sources, such as Heimskringla, Íslendingabók and Landnámsbók, to which the author of Egils saga would have had access. Kroesen lists three theories on the use of oral sources – the old school, the þáttr theory and the new school – without showing any partiality. At the end, she goes over the most important episodes in the saga and explains how the oral and written sources connect to them. This also gives the reader insight into the saga’s historical validity. In the last chapter, Kroesen elaborates on the author's use of sources in his literary work, mostly in the course of events and the characterization. This fourth chapter contains speculations but no answer as to the identity of the author of Egils saga.

Lýsing

Greinin er fjögurra kafla inngangur að hollensku þýðingu Egils sögu en er byggður bæði á fræðigreinum annarra og persónulegri rannsókn höfundarins. Fyrsti kafli kynnir það sögulega tímabil sem sagan gerist á með áherslu á sambandið milli konungsríkisins Noregs og þjóðveldisins á Íslandi. Síðan varpar Kroesen ljósi á atburði í fjölskyldusögu Egils sem stýra uppbyggingu sögunnar. Í öðrum kafla gerir Kroesen sérstaka grein fyrir einkennum, notkun og hlutverki kveðskapar í Íslendingasögunum. Hún tekur kveðskap Egils sem dæmi og lýsir myndmáli, tvíræðni og því tilfinningalífi sem þar birtist. Þriðji kafli byrjar á yfirliti yfir munnlegar og skriflegar heimildir, þar með talið Heimskringlu, Íslendingabók og Landnámsbók, sem höfundur Egils sögu hafði aðgang að. Þá nefnir Kroesen þrjár kenningar um notkun munnlegra heimilda – eldri skólinn, þáttakenningin og yngri skólinn – án þess að taka beina afstöðu til þeirra. Loks fer hún yfir helstu þætti sögunnar og útskýrir hvernig munnlegu og skriflegu heimildirnar tengjast hverjum um sig. Á þennan hátt fær lesandinn líka innsýn í sagnfræðilegt gildi sögunnar. Í síðasta kafla skrifar Kroesen meira um hvernig höfundurinn notaði heimildirnar í bókmenntaverki sínu, til að móta atburðarás og persónusköpun. Þessi fjórði kafli kynnir líka nokkrar tilgátur en ekkert svar um hver hafi samið Egils sögu.

References

Chapter 57: þar dómendurnir eru: “But when the judges declared themselves willing, to let Egil’s testimony confirm on oath, orders the queen her brother and his followers to make an end at the whole sitting of the court. That is cutting the Gordian knot, but no solution. Also in this case, it seems likely, that the author had been handed over material, that contained insecurities. A certain respect for the material that was handed over made that he couldn’t conceal this, at the most blur it” (Dutch text: “Maar als de rechters zich bereid verklaren, Egils verklaringen onder ede te laten bevestigen, laat de koningin door haar broer en diens volgelingen een eind maken aan de hele rechtszitting. Dat is een Gordiaanse knoop doorhakken maar géén oplossing. Ook hier lijkt het waarschijnlijk, dat de auteur materiaal overgeleverd had gekregen, dat hem voor onzekerheden plaatste. Een zekere eerbied voor die overlevering maakte, dat hij dit niet kon verhelen, hoogstens verdoezelen”) (p. XLI).

Chapter 79: upphaf kvæðis: “The prose pictures Egil as an emotional person, at some moments without any self-control […] It’s in accordance with this, that we can find an unusual amount of emotions in his poetry and this in contrary to all formal requirements that obstruct such a thing!” (Dutch text: “Het proza beeldt Egil af als een gevoelsmens, op sommige momenten zonder enige zelfbeheersing […] Het is daarmee in overeenstemming, dat men in zijn poëzie ongewoon veel gevoel aantreft en dat ondanks alle formele eisen die zoiets in de weg stonden!”) (p. XX).

Links

• Written by: Katleen Abbeel
• English translation: Katleen Abbeel