3. External (prose) evidence
This is not currently part of the peer-reviewed material of the project. Do not cite as a research publication.
We might assume that the placing of verses within a chronological narrative, or introductory tags such as ok enn kvað hann, imply that verses came in that order (though not necessarily continuously) in the original poem. However, evidence of this kind requires caution since:
a. This assumption may be incorrect; or the prose compilers may be mistaken.
b. Independent evidence for the chronology of events (i.e. independent of the verses themselves, and of prose compilers’ interpretations of them) is rare.
c. Different prose texts quite frequently disagree about the ordering of verses, and even about what events they describe. (The Skj ordering may give unreasonable priority to the evidence of certain texts, e.g. to Heimskringla over Fagrskinna and Morkinskinna.) Differences and difficulties should be discussed in the Introduction to the poem in question, and if appropriate in the Context and Notes to its component verses.
d. Sometimes mss even disagree as to which helmingar belong to particular stanzas; e.g. Fagrskinna often differs from other konungasögur. Again, difficulties should be discussed in Introduction or Notes.