Waltharius532

Hildegund sees the Franks approaching and wakes Walther, who calms her fears and prepares for battle; he recognizes Hagen from a distance (532–571)

At procul aspiciens Hiltgunt de vertice montis			Aeineid 5.35: at procul ex celso miratus vertice montis . .. ‘But afar off, on a high hilltop, he marvels. . .’		DDSSDS
Pulvere sublato venientes sensit et ipsum					DSDSDS
Waltharium placido tactu vigilare monebat.					DDSDDS
Qui caput attollens scrutatur, si quis adiret.	535		Aeineid 9.682: attollunt capita. ‘They raise their heads.’		DSSSDS
Eminus illa refert quandam volitare phalangem.					DDSDDS
Ipse oculos tersos somni glaucomate purgans			Prudentius, Hamartigenia 85: nisi sub glaucomate. . . ‘Unless his vision were obscured. . .’ 90. Est glaucoma, aciem quod tegmine velet aquoso. ‘There is a cataract that veils the mind’s eye with a watery film.’		DSSSDS Elision: ipse oculos
Paulatim rigidos ferro vestiverat artus			Aeineid 12.87-106. Prudentius, Hamartigenia 284: rigidos duraverat ossibus artus. ‘He made their limbs hard with bones to stiffen them.’ Liber Regum I 17.38: vestivit eum lorica. ‘He armed him with a coat of mail.’		SDSSDS
Atque gravem rursus parmam collegit et hastam			Aeineid 12.87-106. Aeineid 5.15: colligere arma iubet. ‘He bids them gather in the tackling.’		DSSSDS
Et saliens vacuas ferro transverberat auras	540		Aeineid 5.377: verberat ictibus auras. ‘He lashes the air with blows.’ 12.592: vacuas. . .auras. . . ‘The empty air. . .’		DDSSDS
Et celer ad pugnam telis prolusit amaram.			Georgics 3.233-234.; 12.105-106..: ventosque lacessit/ ictibus, et sparsa ad pugnam proludit harena. ‘He lashes the winds with blows, and paws the sand in prelude for the fray.’		DSSSDS
Comminus ecce coruscantes mulier videt hastas			Aeineid 12.431: hastamque coruscat. ‘He brandishes his spear.’		DDSDDS
Ac stupefacta nimis: 'Hunos hic' inquit 'habemus,'					DDSSDS
In terramque cadens effatur talia tristis:			Aeineid 10.523: genua amplectens effatur talia supplex. ‘Clasping the hero’s knees, he speaks thus in supplication.’		SDSSDS
Obsecro, mi senior, gladio mea colla secentur,	545		Prudentius, Contra Orationem Symmachi 2.676-677.: undantesque meum in gremium defundere mortes/ et. . .non noxia colla secare . . . ‘Pouring a flood of deaths into my lap and cutting off innocent heads. . .’		DDDDDS
Ut, quae non merui pacto thalamo sociari,			Aeineid 10.649: thalamos ne desere pactos. ‘Forsake not your plighted marriage.’ 9.594: thalamo sociatus habebat. ‘He had won [her] as a bride.’		SDSDDS
Nullius ulterius patiar consortia carnis.'					DDDSDS
Tum iuvenis: 'cruor innocuus me tinxerit?' inquit			Prudentius, Psychomachia 501: et fors innocuo tinxisset sanguine ferrum. ‘And perchance she would have dipped her steel in their innocent blood.’		DDDSDS
Et: 'quo forte modo gladius potis est inimicos					SDDDDS
Sternere, tam fidae si nunc non parcit amicae?	550				DSSSDS
Absit quod rogitas, mentis depone pavorem.			Aeineid 12.48-49.: quam pro me curam geris, hanc precor, optime, pro me/ deponas. ‘The care you have on my behalf, most gracious lord, on my behalf, I pray, resign.’		SDSSDS
Qui me de variis eduxit saepe periclis,		Qui equiv. to gladius, or perhaps Deus.	Epistula ad Corinthios II 1.10: qui de tantis periculis eripuit nos. . . ‘Who hath delivered us out of so many dangers. . . Liber Deuteronomii 8.14: qui eduxit te de terra Aegypti de domo servitutis. . . ‘Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. . .’		SDSSDS
Hic valet hic hostes, credo, confundere nostros.'					DSSSDS
Haec ait atque oculos tollens effatur ad ipsam:					DDSSDS Elision: atque oculos
Non assunt Avares hic, sed Franci nebulones,	555	Nebulones: “wind-bags, good-for-nothings.” The insult plays on both the bad reputation of the Franks and the cloud (nebula) of dust they are making as they advance. Grimm thought that the word was a Latinization of the German Nibelung, originally meaning “dwarf” and later applied to members of the Burgundian royalty; Althof calls this interpretation “extremely improbable.”			SDSSDS
Cultores regionis,' et en galeam Haganonis		Cultores regionis: not “farmers” but “the local inhabitants,” i.e., the Franks, correcting Hiltgunt’s assumption that the Huns were pursuing them (line 543).			SDDDDS Hiatus: galeam Haganonis
Aspicit et noscens iniunxit talia ridens:					DSSSDS
Et meus hic socius Hagano collega veternus.'					DDDSDS
Hoc heros dicto introitum stationis adibat,		Introitum stationis: the cleft described in line 495; cf. porta (line 561).			SSDDDS Elision: dicto introitum
Inferius stanti praedicens sic mulieri:	560	Inferius stanti: “standing farther back”			DSSSDS
Hac coram porta verbum modo iacto superbum:			Liber Iob 18.2: usque ad quem finem verba iactabitis? ‘How long will you throw out words?’		SSSDDS
Hinc nullus rediens uxori dicere Francus					SDSSDS
Praesumet se impune gazae quid tollere tantae.'		Quid equiv. to aliquid, with partitive genitive.			SSDSDS Elision: se impune
Necdum sermonem complevit, humotenus ecce			Liber Deuteronomii 32.45: conplevitque omnes sermones istos. ‘And he ended all these words.’ Liber Regum II 9.6: corruit in faciem. ‘He fell on his face.’		SSSDDS
Corruit et veniam petiit, quia talia dixit.	565	Veniam petiit: i.e., from God, for his proud boast.			DDDDDS
Postquam surrexit, contemplans cautius omnes:					SSSSDS
Horum quos video nullum Haganone remoto		Haganone remoto: “with the exception of Hagen”			SDSDDS Hiatus: nullum Haganone
Suspicio: namque ille meos per proelia mores		Suspicio equiv. to metuo			DSDSDS Elision: namque ille
Iam didicit, tenet hic etiam sat callidus artem.			Ovid, Matamorphoses 13.323: aliqua producet callidus arte. ‘By some shrewd trick he will bring him to us.’		DDDSDS
Quam si forte volente deo intercepero solam,	570	Quam…solem: Hagen’s artem, i.e., his skill in fighting. Intercepero: “thwart”	Aeineid 1.303: volente deo. . . ‘With God willing it. . .’		SDDSDS Elision: deo intercepero
Tunc' ait 'ex pugna tibi, Hiltgunt sponsa, reservor.'			Aeineid 4.368: quae me ad maiora reservo? ‘For what greater wrongs do I hold myself back?’		DSDSDS Hiatus: tibi Hiltgunt

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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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