That's a great quote, and very similar to another conversation we've had.
When these stories were originally passed down it was only a very small portion of the population that was literate, so stories were passed down verbally. Back in the day, let's say, a person's words carried weight and meaning. People did not "just say" anything; if they did they were held accountable and, in Viking society, that could mean a bloodfeud. It was not just a statement, but it was wise and a necessary thing to be a master of your own words; choosing the wrong ones could have very negative consequences.
The same still holds true today, of course, but we're not as beholden to the spoken word as previous societies. We swear a lot, for instance. If a Viking swore it was serious.
And of course, none of my tirade has anything to do with plagiarism, which I suppose is really what you were getting at. Plagiarism is for the lazy and uncreative. It is sad that it's done, but people do need to be responsible for their own actions.
I'm pretty fascinated with the Vikings and feel they are quite misunderstood, or have been until more recently. They were a lot more than the bloodthirsty culture they were made out to be.
They didn't write anything down as you say, just some tunes here and there really, so the Saga's and Edda's were told/sung. I guess much got lost in translation and the retelling but we can still learn much from them. I was going to say, from these simple people, but they were not all that simple right?
I liked your comment about laziness and plagiarism and yes, ownership and responsibility, is essential, or should be. Traits I have and value.