Meter, syntax, and the use of punctuation in the Leipzig fragment of the Hêliand

Abstract

This study examines the use of punctūs (or ‘pointing’) for punctuation in the most recently discovered Leipzig fragment (MS L) of the Hêliand, focusing on the frequency and distribution of pointing in various metrical and syntactic contexts of the poem.  Data on punctuation, word order, and meter are provided as evidence for a close stemmatic relationship between the L- and P-fragments but a more long-distant relationship with the main Hêliand manuscript C.  This evidence supports findings in Schmid (2006) that the L- and P-fragments might come from the same codex and that the later MS C diverges from these fragments and their common Vorlage.