Part 3 (1/2)
20 That has pa.s.sed over: so this may depart!
We all have heard of Eormanric Of the wolfish heart: a wide realm he had Of the Gothic kingdom. Grim was the king.
Many men sat and bemoaned their sorrows, 25 Woefully watching and wis.h.i.+ng always That the cruel king might be conquered at last.
That has pa.s.sed over: so this may depart!
Sad in his soul he sitteth joyless, Mournful in mood. He many times thinks 30 That no end will e'er come to the cares he endures.
Then must he think how throughout the world The gracious G.o.d often gives his help And manifold honors to many an earl And sends wide his fame; but to some he gives woes.
35 Of myself and my sorrows I may say in truth That I was happy once as the Heodenings' scop, Dear to my lord. Deor was my name.
Many winters I found a worthy following, Held my lord's heart, till Heorrenda came, 40 The skillful singer, and received the land-right That the proud helm of earls had once promised to me!
That has pa.s.sed over: so this may depart!
1. _Weland_, or Wayland; the blacksmith of the Norse G.o.ds. He is represented as being the son of Wada (see _Widsith_, v. 22, note).
8. _Beadohild_ was violated by Weland, and this stanza refers to the approaching birth of her son Widia (or Wudga). (See _Widsith_, vv.
124, 130, and _Waldhere_, B, vv. 4-10.)
14. The exact meaning of the third strophe as here translated is not clear. To make it refer to the story of Nithhad and Weland, it is necessary to make certain changes suggested by Professor Tupper (_Modern Philology_, October, 1911; _Anglia_, x.x.xvii, 118). Thus amended, this stanza would read: ”Of the violation of (Beadu)hild many of us have heard. The affections of the Geat (i.e., Nithhad) were boundless, so that sorrowing love deprived him of all sleep.” This grief of Nithhad would be that caused by the killing of his sons and the shame brought on his daughter. Thus the first three stanzas of the poem would refer to (1) Weland's torture, (2) Beadohild's shame, and (3) Nithhad's grief.
18. Strophe four refers to Theodoric the Goth (see _Widsith_, v. 115, and _Waldhere_, B, v. 4, note). He was banished to Attila's court for thirty years.
19. _Maerings:_ a name applied to the Ostrogoths.
21. _Eormanric_ was king of the Goths and uncle to Theodoric. He died about 375 A.D. He put his only son to death, had his wife torn to pieces, and ruined the happiness of many people. For an account of his crimes see the notes to _Widsith_, v. 8.
36. See, for the connection of the _Heodenings___ and the sweet-singing _Heorrenda_, the note to _Widsith_, v. 21.
WALDHERE
[Critical text and translation: d.i.c.kins, _Runic and Heroic Poems_, p. 56.
Date: Probably eighth century.
Information as to the story is found in a number of continental sources.
Its best known treatment is in a Latin poem, _Waltharius_, by Ekkehard of St. Gall, dating from the first half of the tenth century. Ekkehard's story is thus summarized in the _Cambridge History of English Literature_: ”Alphere, king of Aquitaine, had a son named Waltharius, and Heriricus, king of Burgundy, an only daughter named Hiltgund, who was betrothed to Waltharius. While they were yet children, however, Attila, king of the Huns, invaded Gaul, and the kings seeing no hope in resistance, gave up their children to him as hostages, together with much treasure. Under like compulsion treasure was obtained also from Gib.i.+.c.ho, king of the Franks, who sent as hostage a youth of n.o.ble birth named Hagano. In Attila's service, Waltharius and Hagano won great renown as warriors, but the latter eventually made his escape. When Waltharius grew up, he became Attila's chief general; yet he remembered his old engagement with Hiltgund. On his return from a victorious campaign he made a great feast for the king and his court, and when all were sunk in their drunken sleep, he and Hiltgund fled laden with much gold. On their way home they had to cross the Rhine near Worms. There the king of the Franks, Guntharius, the son of Gib.i.+.c.ho, heard from the ferryman of the gold they were carrying and determined to secure it. Accompanied by Hagano and eleven other picked warriors, he overtook them as they rested in a cave in the Vosges. Waltharius offered him a large share of the gold in order to obtain peace; but the king demanded the whole, together with Hiltgund and the horses. Stimulated by the promise of great rewards, the eleven warriors now attacked Waltharius one after another, but he slew them all. Hagano had tried to dissuade Guntharius from the attack; but now, since his nephew was among the slain, he formed a plan with the king for surprising Waltharius. On the following day they both fell upon him after he had quitted his stronghold, and, in the struggle that ensued, all three were maimed. Waltharius, however, was able to proceed on his way with Hiltgund, and the story ends happily with their marriage.”
Both our fragments, which are found on two leaves in the Royal Library at Copenhagen, refer to a time immediately before the final encounter. The first is spoken by the lady; the second by the man. We cannot tell how long this poem may have been. What we have may be leaves from a long epic, or a short poem, or an episode in a long epic.]
A
. . . . . . . . . . she eagerly heartened him: ”Lo, the work of Weland shall not weaken or fail For the man who the mighty Mimming can wield, The frightful brand. Oft in battle have fallen 5 Sword-wounded warriors one after the other.