sentences:  The þáttr is thought to have been already present in the immediate source used by the compiler, Jón Þórðarson.Like other legendary sagas and þættir, the story should be seen in the context of European ballad and romance.It has been compared to the ballad of "Thomas the Rhymer", and appears to have been influenced by Marie de France's "lai" "Lanval", either directly from the French or via the Norwegian translation, "Januals ljóð".