Waltharius981

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Walther is attacked by Eleuthir/Helmnot, assisted by Trogus, Tanastus, and Gunther; he slays all but Gunther (981–1061)

Vix effatus haec truncavit colla precantis.  Aeneid 7.274: haec effatus. . . ‘With these words. . .’

 

 
Waltharius-Lines-962-1062.png
 
 SSSSDS 
At nonus pugnae Helmnod successit, et ipse  Aeneid 10.690: succedit pugnae. ‘He takes up the battle.’ 11.826: succedat pugnae. . . ‘That he should take my place in the battle. . .’

 

   SSSSDS
Hiatus: pugnae Helmnod
 
Insertum triplici gestabat fune tridentem,    SDSSDS 
Quem post terga quidem socii stantes tenuerunt,  Quem: the funis. The objective is to recover the trident after it has been thrown.

 

   SDDSDS 
Consiliumque fuit, dum cuspis missa sederet 985    DDSSDS 
In clipeo, cuncti pariter traxisse studerent,    DSDSDS 
Ut vel sic hominem deiecissent furibundum;  Vel sic: “perhaps thus”

 

   SDSSDS 
Atque sub hac certum sibi spe posuere triumphum.  Certum: predicative

 

   DSDDDS 
Nec mora, dux totas fundens in brachia vires    DSSSDS 
Misit in adversum magna cum voce tridentem 990  Aeneid 3.68: magna. . .voce. . . ‘With loud voice. . .’

 

   DSSSDS 
Edicens: 'ferro tibi finis, calve, sub isto!'  Finis: sc. esto

 

 Prudentius, Psychomachia 54: hic tibi finis erit. ‘This shall be thy last end.’

 

   SSDSDS 
Qui ventos penetrans iaculorum more coruscat,  Iaculorum more: the flying spear is not (pointlessly) compared to a iaculum (“javelin”), but rather to the iaculus, a flying tree-snake, as the poet explains in the next line.

 

   SDDSDS 
Quod genus aspidis ex alta sese arbore tanto    DDDSDS 
Turbine demittit, quo cuncta obstantia vincat.    DSSSDS
Elision: cuncta obstantia
 
Quid moror? umbonem sciderat peltaque resedit. 995  Umbonem: here in its more limited, literal sense. The shield is still intact.

 

 Aeneid 4.325; 6.528: quid moror? ‘Why do I linger?’

 

   DSDSDS 
Clamorem Franci tollunt saltusque resultat,  Aeineid 10.262: clamorem ad sidera tollunt. ‘They raise a shout to the sky.’ 11.622: clamorem tollunt. ‘They raise a shout.’ 8.305: consonat omne nemus strepitu collesque resultant. ‘The woodland rings with the clamour, and the hills resound.’

 

      SSSSDS 
Obnixique trahunt restim simul atque vicissim,    SDSDDS 
Nec dubitat princeps tali se aptare labori.  Princeps: Helmnod

 

 Aeneid 10.588: aptat se pugnae. ‘He prepares for the fray.’

 

   DSSSDS
Elision: se aptare
 
Manarunt cunctis sudoris flumina membris.  Aeneid 3.175: gelidus toto manabat corepore sudor. ‘A cold sweat bedewed all my limbs.’ 5.200: sudor fluit undique rivis. ‘Sweat streams down all their limbs.’

 

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Sed tamen haec inter velut aesculus astitit heros, 1000  Georgics 2.291-292: aesculus in primis, quae quantum vertice ad auras/ aetherias, tantum radice in Tartara tendit./ ergo non hiemes illam, non flabra neque imbres/ convellunt; immota manet. ‘Above all the great oak, which strikes its roots down towards the nether pit as far as it lifts its top to the airs of heaven. Hence no winter storms, no blasts or rains, uproot it; unmoved it abides.’ Aeneid 4.445-446.: ipsa haeret scopulis et quantum vertice ad auras/ aetherias, tantum radice in Tartara tendit:/ haud secus. . .heros/tunditur. ‘[The oak] clings to the crag, and as far as it lifts its top to the airs of heaven, so far it strikes its roots down towards hell: even so the hero is buffeted.’ 3.77: immotamque coli dedit et contemnere ventos. ‘He allows it to lie unmoved, defying the winds.’

 

   DSDDDS 
Quae non plus petit astra comis quam Tartara fibris,  Fibris equiv. to radicibus

 

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Contempnens omnes ventorum immota fragores.    SSSSDS
Elision: ventorum immota
 
Certabant hostes hortabanturque viritim,    SSSSDS 
Ut, si non quirent ipsum detrudere ad arvum,  Detrudere ad arvum: i.e., kill?

 

   SSSSDS
Elision: detrudere ad
 
Munimen clipei saltem extorquere studerent, 1005  Aeneid 12.357: dextrae mucronem extorquet. ‘He wrests the sword from his hand.’

 

   SDSSDS
Elision: saltem extorquere
 
Quo dempto vivus facile caperetur ab ipsis.  Facile: the e of the adverb is here long.

 

   SSDDDS 
Nomina quae restant edicam iamque trahentum:    DSSSDS 
Nonus Eleuthir erat, Helmnod cognomine dictus,  Eleuthir…Helmnod: a double name, cf. line 687.

 

 Aeneid 3.702: Gela fluvii cognomine dicta. . . ‘Gela, named after its river. . .’

 

   DDSSDS 
Argentina quidem decimum dant oppida Trogum,  Argentina…oppida: the Roman town Argentoratum, today Strasbourg, France.

 

   Strasbourg   SDDSDS 
Extulit undecimum pollens urbs Spira Tanastum, 1010  Spira: Speyer, now a city in the German Rhineland-Palatinate.

 

 

Speyer

 DDSSDS 
Absque Haganone locum rex supplevit duodenum.  Gunther takes the place of Hagen, originally reckoned among the twelve (cf. lines 475-477).

 

   DDSSDS
Elision: absque Haganone
 
Quattuor hi adversum summis conatibus unum    DSSSDS
Elision: hi adversum
 
Contendunt pariter multo varioque tumultu.  Aeneid 2.122: magno. . .tumultu. . . ‘With loud clamour. . .’

 

   SDSDDS 
Interea Alpharidi vanus labor incutit iram,  Aeneid 11.728: incutit iras. ‘He fills him with wrath.’

 

   DDSDDS
Elision: interea Alpharidi
 
Et qui iam pridem rudarat casside frontem, 1015    SSSSDS 
In framea tunicaque simul confisus aena  Framea equiv. to gladio here, though cf. Tac. Germ 6: hastas vel ipsorum vocabulo frameas gerunt.

 

   DDDSDS 
Omisit parmam primumque invasit Eleuthrin.    SSSSDS
Elision: primumque in
 
Huic galeam findens cerebrum diffudit et ipsam    DSDSDS 
Cervicem resecans pectus patefecit, at aegrum  Aeneid 10.601: latebras animae pectus mucrone recludit. ‘With the sword he cleft open his breast, where life lies hidden.’

 

   SDSDDS 
Cor pulsans animam liquit mox atque calorem. 1020  Aeineid 3.140: linquebant dulcis animas. ‘Men gave up their sweet lives.’ 9.475: miserae calor ossa reliquit. ‘Warmth left her hapless frame.’

 

   SDSSDS 
Inde petit Trogum haerentem in fune nefando.    DSSSDS
Elision: haerentem in
Hiatus: Trogum haerentem
 
Qui subito attonitus recidentis morte sodalis  Aeneid 10.386: furit incautum crudeli morte sodalis. ‘He rages, reckless over his comrade’s cruel death.’ 11.796: sterneret ut subita turbatam morte Camillam. . . ‘That he might overthrow and strike down Camilla in sudden death.’

 

   DDDSDS
Elision: subito attonitus
 
Horribilique hostis conspectu coeperat acrem  Aeineid 11.271: horribili visu portenta sequuntur. ‘Portents of dreadful view pursue me.’


Georgics 3.141-142.: acri/ carpere prata fuga. . . ‘To scour the meadows in swift flight. . .’  

   DSSSDS
Elision: horribilique hostis
 
Nequiquam temptare fugam voluitque relicta  Georgics 3.141-142.: acri/ carpere prata fuga. . . ‘To scour the meadows in swift flight. . .’


Aeineid 12.484: fugam cursu temptavit equorum. ‘He strove by running to match the flihgt of the horses.’  

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Arma recolligere, ut rursum repararet agonem. 1025  Aeineid 5.15: colligere arma iubet. ‘He bids them gather in the tackling.’

 

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Elision: recolligere ut
 
Nam cuncti funem tracturi deposuerunt  Aeneid 12.707: armaque deposuere umeris. ‘They took off the armour from their shoulders.’

 

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Hastas cum clipeis.) sed quanto maximus heros  Aeneid 12.707: armaque deposuere umeris. ‘They took off the armour from their shoulders.’


Aeineid 6.192: maximus heros. . . ‘The great hero. . .’  

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Fortior extiterat, tanto fuit ocior, olli  Olli…capto: Trogus, dative of disadvantage. For the construction with the ablative cursu, cf. line 1325: furto captum.

 

   DDSDDS 
Et cursu capto suras mucrone recidit    SSSSDS 
Ac sic tardatum praevenit et abstulit eius 1030    SSSDDS 
Scutum. sed Trogus, quamvis de vulnere lassus,  De vulnere: cf. note on prologue, line 10.

 

   SSSSDS 
Mente tamen fervens saxum circumspicit ingens,  Aeineid 12.896-897.: saxum circumspicit ingens. . .ille manu raptum trepida torquebat in hostem. ‘He glances round and sees a huge stone. . .With hurried grasp, he seized and hurled it at his foe.’ 12.266: adversos telum contorsit in hostes. ‘Darting forward, he hurled his spear full against the foe.’

 

   DSSSDS 
Quod rapiens subito obnixum contorsit in hostem    DDSSDS
Elision: subito obnixum
 
Et proprium a summo clipeum fidit usque deorsum.  Proprium…scutum: Trogus’s own shield, being used by Waltharius.

 

   DSDDDS
Elision: proprium a
 
Sed retinet fractum pellis superaddita lignum. 1035    DSSDDS 
Moxque genu posito viridem vacuaverat aedem  Viridem…aedem equiv. to vaginam
Vacuaverat: the subject is Trogus.

 

   DDDDDS 
Atque ardens animis vibratu terruit auras,  Prudentius, Psychomachia 297: territat auras. ‘He affrighted the heavens.’

 

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Elision: atque ardens
 
Et si non quivit virtutem ostendere factis,    SSSSDS
Elision: virtutem ostendere
 
Corde tamen habitum patefecit et ore virilem.  Habitum equiv. to animum

 

 Aeineid 9.311: ante annos animumque gerens curamque virilem. . . ‘With a man’s mind and a spirit beyond his years. . .’

 

   DDDDDS 
Nec manes ridere videns audaciter infit: 1040  Manes ridere: the parallel image in line 849 suggests that ridere depends not on infit (so Wieland) but rather on videns.

 

   SSDSDS 
O mihi si clipeus vel sic modo adesset amicus!    DDSDDS
Elision: modo adesset
 
Fors tibi victoriam de me, non inclita virtus    DDSSDS 
Contulit. ad scutum mucronem hic tollito nostrum!'    DSSSDS
Elision: mucronem hic
 
Tum quoque subridens 'venio iam' dixerat heros    DSDSDS 
Et cursu advolitans dextram ferientis ademit. 1045    SDSDDS
Elision: cursu advolitans
 
Sed cum athleta ictum libraret ab aure secundum  Secundum equiv. to iterum

 

 Aeineid 9.417: ecce aliud summa telum librabat ab aure. ‘He balances another weapon close to his ear.’

 

   SSSDDS
Elision: cum athleta; athleta ictum
 
Pergentique animae valvas aperire studeret,    SDSDDS
Elision: pergentique animae
 
Ecce Tanastus adest telis cum rege resumptis    DDSSDS 
Et socium obiecta protexit vulnere pelta.  Aeneid 12.377: clipeo obiecto. . . ‘With his shield before him. . .’ Aeineid 10.800: genitor nati parma protectus abiret. ‘The father, guarded by his son’s shield, could withdraw.’

 

   DSSSDS
Elision: socium obiecta
 
Hinc indignatus iram convertit in ipsum 1050    SSSSDS 
Waltharius humerumque eius de cardine vellit  Aeneid 2.480: postisque a cardine vellit. ‘From their hinge he tears the doors.’

 

   DDSSDS
Elision: humerumque eius
 
Perque latus ducto suffudit viscera ferro.    DSSSDS 
Ave! procumbens submurmurat ore Tanastus.    SSSDDS 
Quo recidente preces contempsit promere Trogus    DDSSDS 
Conviciisque sui victorem incendit amaris, 1055  Aeneid 10.368: dictis virtutem accendit amaris. ‘With bitter words he fires their courage.’

 

   DDSSDS
Elision: victorem incendit
 
Seu virtute animi, seu desperaverat. exin    SDSSDS
Elision: virtute animi
 
Alpharides: 'morere' inquit 'et haec sub Tartara transfer  Aeineid 2.547-548.: referes ergo haec et nuntius ibis/ Pelidae genitori; illi mea tristia facta/ degeneremque Neoptolemum narrare memento;/ nunc morere. ‘Then you shall bear this news and go as messenger to my sire, Peleus’ son; be sure to tell him of my sorry deeds and his degenerate Neoptolemus! Now die!’ 10.600: morere et fratrem ne desere frater. ‘Die, and let not brother forsake brother!’ 10.743: nunc morere. ‘Now die.’

 

   DDDSDS
Elision: morere inquit
 
Enarrans sociis, quod tu sis ultus eosdem.'    SDSSDS 
His dictis torquem collo circumdedit aureum.  Variously interpreted. (1) Waltharius strangles Trogus with a gold necklace that Trogus is wearing. (2) The torquem aureum is actually one of blood, yielding a figurative description of decapitation. (3) The neck in question is Waltharius’s, and the torques is a trophy of his victory, either literally (taken from Trogus) or figuratively (referring to a Roman practice, cf. Statius Thebaid 10.517, Silius Italicus Punica 15.255).

 

  Danihel Propheta 5.29: circumdata est torques aurea collo eius. ‘A chain of gold was put around his neck.’ Liber Genesis 41.42: collo torquem auream circumposuit. ‘He put a chain of gold about his neck.’

 

   SSSSDS
False quantities: aureum
 
Ecce simul caesi volvuntur pulvere amici, 1060    DSSSDS
Elision: pulvere amici
 
Crebris foedatum ferientes calcibus arvum.  Calcibus: with ferientes, describing their fall or perhaps their death throes.

 

 Aeineid 10.404: caedit semianimis Rutulorum calcibus arva. ‘He spurns with his heels the Rutulian fields.’ 10.730-731.: calcibus atram/ tundit humum. ‘He hammers the black ground with his heels.’

 

   SSDSDS 

« previous  
  • Prologue
  • Introduction: the Huns (1–12)
  • The Huns (13–418)
    • The Franks under Gibich surrender to Attila, giving Hagen as a hostage (13–33)
    • The Burgundians under Hereric surrender to Attila, giving Hildegund as a hostage (34–74)
    • The Aquitainians under Alphere surrender to Attila, giving Walther as a hostage (75–92)
    • Experience of the hostages at Attila’s court (93–115)
    • Death of Gibich, flight of Hagen (116–122)
    • Attila’s queen Ospirin advises her husband to ensure Walther’s loyalty by arranging a marriage (123–141)
    • Walther rejects Attila’s offer of a bride (142–169)
    • Walther leads the army of the Huns to victory in battle (170–214)
    • The Escape (215–418)
      • Walther returns from battle and encounters Hildegund (215–255)
      • Walther reveals to Hildegund his plans for escaping with Attila’s treasure (256–286)
      • Walther hosts a luxurious banquet for Attila’s court; eventually all his intoxicated guests fall asleep (287–323)
      • Flight of Walther and Hildegund from Attila’s court (324–357)
      • The following day, the escape of Walther and Hildegund is discovered by Ospirin (358–379)
      • Attila is infuriated and vows revenge on Walther, but can find no one willing to dare to pursue him, even for a large reward (380–418)
  • The Single Combats (419–1061)
    • Diplomacy (419–639)
      • Flight of Walther and Hildegund to the area of Worms (419–435)
      • Gunther, King of the Franks, learns of Walther’s presence on his territory and, despite Hagen’s warnings, decides to pursue him for his treasure (436–488)
      • Walther makes his camp in a mountainous area and goes to sleep (489–512)
      • Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531)
      • Hildegund sees the Franks approaching and wakes Walther, who calms her fears and prepares for battle; he recognizes Hagen from a distance (532–571)
      • Hagen persuades Gunther to try diplomacy before using force (571–580)
      • Camalo is sent as a messenger to Walther, who offers to make Gunther a gift in return for allowing his passage (581–616)
      • Hagen counsels Gunther to accept the offer, but Gunther rejects this advice, calling him a coward. Insulted, Hagen goes off to a nearby hill (617–639)
    • Combat (640–1061)
      • 1st single combat: Camalo is sent back to Walther, who slays him (640–685)
      • 2nd single combat: Walther slays Kimo/Scaramund, Camalo’s nephew (686–719)
      • Gunther encourages his men (720–724)
      • 3rd single combat: Walther slays Werinhard, a descendant of the Trojan Pandarus (725–753)
      • 4th single combat: Walther slays the Saxon Ekivrid, after an exchange of insults (754–780)
      • 5th single combat: Walther slays Hadawart, after an exchange of insults (781–845)
      • Hagen sees his nephew Patavrid going off to fight Walther and laments the evil wreaked on mankind by greed (846–877)
      • 6th single combat: after trying to dissuade him from fighting, Walther slays Patavrid (878–913)
      • 7th single combat: Walther slays Gerwitus (914–940)
      • Gunther again encourages his men, giving Walther some time to rest (941–961)
      • 8th single combat: Walther is shorn of his hair by Randolf, whom he then slays (962–981)
      • Walther is attacked by Eleuthir/Helmnot, assisted by Trogus, Tanastus, and Gunther; he slays all but Gunther (981–1061)
  • The Final Combat (1062–1452)
    • Gunther tries to persuade Hagen to help him to defeat Waltharius; remembering his wounded honor, Hagen refuses (1062–1088)
    • Hagen changes his mind and agrees to help Gunther, but advises that they must lie low wait until Walther comes down from the mountains into open ground (1089–1129)
    • Walther decides to spend the night in the mountains. He rematches the severed heads with the bodies of his victims, prays for their souls, then sleeps (1130–1187)
    • The following day, Walther and Hildegund set out from the mountains, taking the horses and arms of the defeated warriors (1188–1207)
    • Hildegund perceives Gunther and Hagen approaching to attack; the king addresses Walther (1208–1236)
    • Walther ignores Gunther and pleads with Hagen to remember the bond of their childhood friendship; Hagen counters that Walther has already broken their faith by slaying Patavrid (1237–1279)
    • The fight begins and continues for seven hours; Gunther foolishly tries to retrieve a thrown spear from the ground near Walther and is only saved from death by Hagen’s brave intervention (1280–1345)
    • Walther challenges Hagen; he severs Gunther’s leg, but Hagen again saves the king’s life (1346–1375)
    • Hagen cuts off Walther’s right hand; Walther gouges out one of Hagen’s eyes and, cutting open his cheek, knocks out four teeth (1376–1395)
    • Having wounded each other, the warriors end the battle, drink together, and engage in a friendly exchange of humorous taunt (1396–1442)
    • The warriors return to their respective homes; Walther marries Hildegund and eventually becomes king of the Aquitainians (1443–1452)
  • Epilogue (1453–1456) 
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