Niedner, Felix. Egils Sonatorrek

• Author: Niedner, Felix
• Title: Egils Sonatorrek
• Published in: Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum und deutsche Literatur 59
• Place, Publisher:
• Year: 1922
• Pages: 217-35
• E-text:
• Reference: Niedner, Felix. "Egils Sonatorrek." Zeitschrift für deutsches Altertum und deutsche Literatur 59 (1922): 217–35.

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Annotation

The article deals with the genesis of Sonatorrek, particularly with regard to the poem's dating. Niedner tries to determine if the saga's description of Egill composing the Sonatorrek right after his son Böðvars death in 960 may be considered correct. The initial point for his analysis is a contradictory line in the forth stanza of Sonatorrek in which Egill says his lineage had come to an end even though his youngest son Þorsteinn is still alive. Then Niedner looks into Þorstein's depiction in the saga as well as into the relationship between Egill and his son. Furthermore he consults a later stanza (lausavísa 57) which Egill, full of anger, versed after Þorsteinn had borrowed without permission his precious robe to wear it at the Thing. By comparing this stanza and Sonatorrek Niedner argues that the poem must have come into being at a later point in time. Contradicting the description in the saga, he dates Sonatorrek to around the same time as lausavísa 57, that is about 970. Based on these results Niedner argues against Vigfússon and Neckel who had characterized Sonatorrek as inconsistent. Finally he analyses the poem's structure to substantiate his standpoint that it indeed is absolutely consistent.

Lýsing

Greinin fjallar um tilurð Sonatorreks með sérstakri áherslu á aldur drápunnar. Höfundurinn kannar hvort lýsing sögunnar, sem gefur til kynna að Egill hafi samið Sonatorrek strax eftir andlát Böðvars um 960, sé rétt. Útgangspunktur Niedners er mótsagnakennd lína í fjórða erindi Sonatorreks þar sem Egill segir að ætt hans standi á enda þótt Þorsteinn, yngsti sonurinn hans, sé ennþá á lífi. Niedner skoðar nánar persónulýsingu Þorsteins í sögunni og sambandið á milli Egils og hans. Til að styðja fullyrðingar sínar vitnar Niedner í við lausavísu 57, sem Egill yrkir seinna í bræði eftir að Þorsteinn hefur tekið slæður föðurins í leyfisleysi og riðið í þeim til þings. Með því að bera saman þessa vísu og Sonatorrek kemst Niedner að þeirri niðurstöðu að kvæðið hljóti að hafa orðið til seinna en sagt er í sögunni. Hann telur Sonatorrek vera frá sama tíma og lausavísa 57, eða um 970. Með hliðsjón af þessum niðurstöðum mótmælir Niedner skrifum Guðbrands Vigfússonar og Gustavs Neckels sem höfðu sagt Sonatorrek vera sundurleitt kvæði. Sjálfur telur hann gott innra samræmi vera í Sonatorrek og rökstyður það meðal annars í ljósi byggingarinnar kvæðisins.

References

Chapter 80: ætt mín: "ruft der alte Egil in v 4 aus: 'Mein geschlecht steht am ende wie die sturmgefällten baumäste', so liegt darin das zornige bekenntnis, dass Thorstein als trost und ersatz für die toten brüder völlig versagte und somit als sohn überhaupt nicht mehr für den vater in betracht kam" (sic, p. 221).

Chapter 82: Áttak erfinytja: "Ihr inhalt wie ihre für den ausdruck jeder empfindungen ganz besonders glückliche und prägnante skaldische form zeigen, dass sie mehr als eine flüchtige augenblicksstimmung oder eine vorübergehende gefühlsaufwallung des großen skalden darstellen. Ein dreifacher schwerer vorwurf liegt für Thorstein darin. Er ist in Egils augen untüchtig, er ist unwahr, er ist pietätlos. Die beiden ersten vorwürfe werden durch den besonders verletzenden wortlaut unterstrichen. statt 'sohn' sagt der dichter 'erbwart des des erbes', um die function, für die Thorstein versagt, stark hervorzuheben." (sic, p. 217).

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