After his lifetime, an author's texts cannot be changed but must be preserved as he left them. While he was alive, I would have suggested one minor alteration to Poul Anderson - although it is merely an editing job.
The Wanderer, Tharasmund, Liuderis and Randwar lead a band of Teurings to confront Ermanaric, King of the East Goths. The captain of Ermanaric's guard says that a few may be allowed to enter the king's dwelling after the rest have pulled back. Liuderis agrees to lead those who pull back.
The Wanderer, Tharasmund and Randwar enter the hall, pass benches of armed guardsmen and approach the high seat at the far wall. Ermanaric sees "...three wayworn, mud-splashed newcomers..." (p. 419). Thus, neither their names nor their number are in any doubt.
Yet, when Ermanaric insultingly dismisses them, Randwar draws his sword while both Tharasmund and Liuderis snatch for theirs. Suddenly, Liuderis, who had agreed to wait outside and who had not been one of the three that entered the hall, now is inside the hall with the others, a continuity error that could not have occurred in a film but may be missed by casual readers of prose fiction. In fact, I am sure that I have spotted this inconsistency only by rereading the text so often!
1 comment:
Hi, Paul!
Darn! Somehow, I too missed noting the incorrect apperance of Liuderis in this meeting with King Ermanaric! But, as you said, it would have been easy for Poul Anderson to have corrected this minor discrepancy had it been pointed out to him before he died. And, for all we know, he left notes in his papers expressing a desire to correct it. If those notes are found, my view is that would justify having future editions of "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth" being amended in this passage.
Sean
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