Conjectural Emendation in Skaldic Editing Practice, with Reference to Egils saga

Margaret Clunies Ross, University of Sydney

From the time when scholarly editing of Old Norse–Icelandic texts began in earnest in the seventeenth century, editors in this field have proceeded with very little explicit theorizing of their editorial practice. Rarely does one encounter clear statements of principle in the introductions to specific editions, let alone separate general discussions of editing practice and textual criticism, and yet some kind of principle, together with a good deal of practical knowledge and experience, and a kind of handson transmission of editorial skills from one generation of editors to the next, has clearly shaped the general approach to textual editing in Old Norse–Icelandic studies today.