Waltharius1

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Introduction: the Huns (1–12)

Tertia pars orbis, fratres, Europa vocatur,  Tertia pars orbis: as opposed to Africa and Asia, a division found as early as Herodotus (2.16).
Fratres: suggests that the poem could have been read in a monastic context.

 

 Lucan, De Bello Civili 9.411-412.: Tertia pars rerum Libye, si credere famae/ Cuncta velis; at, si ventos caelumque sequaris,/ Pars erit Europae. ‘Libya is the third continent of the world, if one is willing in all things to trust report; but, if you judge by the winds and the sky, you will find it to be part of Europe.’

 

 
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Moribus ac linguis varias et nomine gentes  Aeneid 8.722-723.: gentes,/ quam variae linguis, habitu tam vestis et armis. ‘Peoples as diverse in fashion of dress and arms as in tongues.’ Prudentius, Contra Orationem Symmachi 2.586-587.: discordes linguis populos et dissona cultu/ regna volens sociare Deus. . . ‘God, wishing to bring into partnership peoples of different speech and realms of discordant manners. . .’

 

 DSDSDS 
Distinguens cultu, tum relligione sequestrans.  Sequestrans: “separating,” a meaning that seems to have developed from the concept of the deposit held by a sequester, the third-party arbitrator in a monetary conflict.

 

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Inter quas gens Pannoniae residere probatur,  Pannonia: Roman province in the north-west Balkans, according to the poet the homeland of the “Huns” (Hunos, line 5), a nomadic tribe that invaded Europe from the east, beginning around 370 A.D.

 

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Quam tamen et Hunos plerumque vocare solemus. 5  DSSDDS 
Hic populus fortis virtute vigebat et armis,  DSSDDS 
Non circumpositas solum domitans regiones,  Liber I Macchabeorum 1.1-2.: Et factum est postquam percussit Alexander Philippi Macedo qui primus regnavit in Graecia egressus de terra Cetthim Darium regem Persarum et Medorum constituit proelia multa et omnium obtinuit munitiones et interfecit reges terrae et pertransiit usque ad fines terrae. ‘Now it came to pass, after that Alexander the son of Philip the Macedonian, who first reigned in Greece, coming out of the land of Cethim, had overthrown Darius king of the Persians and Medes: he fought many battles, and took the strong holds of all, and slew the kings of the earth: and he went through even to the ends of the earth.’

 

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Litoris oceani sed pertransiverat oras,  Liber I Macchabeorum 1.1-2.: Et factum est postquam percussit Alexander Philippi Macedo qui primus regnavit in Graecia egressus de terra Cetthim Darium regem Persarum et Medorum constituit proelia multa et omnium obtinuit munitiones et interfecit reges terrae et pertransiit usque ad fines terrae. ‘Now it came to pass, after that Alexander the son of Philip the Macedonian, who first reigned in Greece, coming out of the land of Cethim, had overthrown Darius king of the Persians and Medes: he fought many battles, and took the strong holds of all, and slew the kings of the earth: and he went through even to the ends of the earth.’


Aeineid 3.396: has autem terras Italique hanc litoris oram. . . ‘But these lands, and this nearest border of the Italian shore. . .’ Virgil, Georgics 2.44: ades et primi lege litoris oram. ‘Draw nigh, and skirt the near shoreline.’  

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Foedera supplicibus donans sternensque rebelles.  Aeneid 6.851-852.: tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento/ (hae tibi erunt artes), pacique imponere morem,/ parcere subiectis et debellare superbos. ‘You, Roman, be sure to rule the world (be these your arts), to crown peace with justice, to spare the vanquished and to crush the proud.’

 

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Ultra millenos fertur dominarier annos. 10  Fertur: the subject is populus.
Dominarier: archaic form for the passive infinitive (here of a deponent), frequent in poetry of all periods.

 

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Attila rex quodam tulit illud tempore regnum,  Attila: Ruler of the Huns, first with his brother Bleda, from 434 to 455, then alone until 453 A.D.
Tulit equiv. togessit

 

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Impiger antiquos sibimet renovare triumphos.  Renovare: infinitive following impiger (“eager”); cf. Hor. Carm. 4.14.22.

 

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« 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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