1. EPIC OR HEROIC GROUP
WIDSITH
[Critical edition: R. W. Chambers, Widsith: a Study in Old English Heroic Legend. Cambridge, 1912.
Date: Probably late sixth or early seventh century.
Alliterative translation: Gummere, Oldest English Epic (1910), p. 191.
“Widsith—‘Farway’—the ideal wandering minstrel, tells of all the tribes among whom he has sojourned, of all the chieftains he has known. The first English students of the poem regarded it as autobiographical, as the actual record of his wanderings written by a scop; and were inclined to dismiss as interpolations passages mentioning princes whom it was chronologically impossible for a man who had met Ermanric to have known. This view was reduced to an absurdity by Haigh.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“The more we study the growth of German heroic tradition, the more clear does it become that Widsith and Deor reflect that tradition. They are not the actual outpourings of actual poets at the court of Ermanric or the Heodenings. What the poems sung in the court of Ermanric were like we shall never know: but we can safely say that they were unlike Widsith.... The Traveller’s tale is a fantasy of some man, keenly interested in the old stories, who depicts an ideal wandering singer, and makes him move hither and thither among the tribes and the heroes whose stories he loves. In the names of its chiefs, in the names of its tribes, and above all in its spirit, Widsith reflects the heroic age of the migrations, an age which had hardly begun in the days of Ermanric.”—Chambers, p. 4.
Lines 75, 82-84 are almost certainly interpolated. With these rejected “the poem leaves upon us,” says Chambers, “a very definite impression. It is a catalogue of the tribes and heroes of Germany, and many of these heroes, though they may have been half legendary already to the writer of the poem, are historic characters who can be dated with accuracy.”]
Note.—In the footnotes, no attempt is made to discuss peoples or persons mentioned in this poem unless they are definitely known and are of importance for an understanding of the meaning of the lines.
Widsith now spoke, his word-hoard unlocked,
He who traveled the widest among tribes of men,
Farthest among folk: on the floor he received
The rarest of gifts. From the race of the [Myrgings]
5 His ancestors sprang. With [Ealhhild] the gracious,
The fair framer of peace, for the first time
He sought the home of the [Hræda king],
From the [Angles] in the East —of [Eormanric],
Fell and faithless. Freely he spoke forth:
10 “Many a royal ruler of a realm I have known;
[Every leader should live] a life of virtue;
One earl after the other shall order his land,
He who wishes and works for the weal of his throne!
Of these for a while was [Hwala] the best,
15 But [Alexander] of all of men
Was most famous of lords, and he flourished the most
Of all the earls whom on earth I have known.
[Attila] ruled the Huns, Eormanric the Goths,
[Becca the Banings], the Burgundians Gifica.
20 [Cæsar] ruled the Greeks and Cælic the Finns,
[Hagena] the Holm-Rugians and [Heoden] the Glommas.
Witta ruled the Swabians, [Wada] the Hælsings,
Meaca the Myrgings, Mearchealf the [Hundings],
[Theodoric] ruled the Franks, Thyle the Rondings,
25 [Breoca] the Brondings, Billing the Wernas.
Oswine ruled the Eowas and the Ytas Gefwulf;
[Finn Folcwalding] ruled the Frisian people.
Sigehere ruled longest the Sea-Dane’s kingdom.
Hnæf ruled the Hocings, Helm the Wulfings,
30 Wald the Woings, Wod the [Thuringians],
Sæferth the [Secgans], the Swedes [Ongentheow].
Sceafthere ruled the Ymbrians, Sceafa the [Lombards],
Hun the Hætweras and Holen the Wrosnas.
Hringweald was called the king of the pirates.
35 [Offa] ruled the Angles, Alewih the Danes:
Among these men he was mightiest of all,
But he equalled not Offa in earl-like deeds.
For Offa by arms while only a child,
First among fighters won the fairest of kingdoms;
40 Not any of his age in earlship surpassed him.
In a single combat in the siege of battle
He fixed the frontier at Fifeldore
Against the host of the Myrgings, which was held thenceforth
By Angles and [Swabians] as Offa had marked it.
45 [Hrothwulf and Hrothgar] held for a long time
A neighborly compact, the nephew and uncle,
After they had vanquished the Viking races
And Ingeld’s array was overridden,
Hewed down at Heorot the Heathobard troop.
50 So forth I fared in foreign lands
All over the earth; of evil and good
There I made trial, torn from my people;
Far from my folk I have followed my travels.
Therefore I sing the song of my wanderings,
55 Declare before the company in the crowded mead-hall,
How gifts have been given me by the great men of earth.
I was with the Huns and with the [Hræda-Goths],
With the Swedes and with the [Geats] and with the southern Danes,
With the Wenlas I was and with the Vikings and with the Wærna folk.
60 With the [Gepidæ] I was and with the [Wends] and with the Gefligas.
With the [Angles] I was and with the Swæfe and with the Ænenas.
With the [Saxons] I was and with the Secgans and with the Suardones.
With the Hronas I was and with the Deanas and with the [Heatho-Raemas].
With the Thuringians I was and with the Throwendas;
65 And with the [Burgundians], where a bracelet was given me.
[Guthhere] there gave me a goodly jewel,
As reward for my song: not slothful that king!
With the [Franks I was and with the Frisians] and with the Frumtingas.
With the [Rugians I was and with the Glommas] and with the Roman strangers.
70 Likewise in Italy with [Ælfwine] I was:
He had, as I have heard, a hand the readiest
For praiseworthy deeds of prowess and daring;
With liberal heart he lavished his treasures,
Shining armlets —the son of [Eadwine].
75 [I was with the Saracens] and with the [Serings];
With the Greeks I was and with the Finns and with far-famed Cæsar,
Who sat in rule over the cities of revelry—
Over the riches and wealth of the realm of the [Welsh].
With the Scots I was and with the Picts and with the [Scride-Finns].
80 With the [Lidwicingas] I was and with the Leonas and with the Longobards,
With the Hæthnas and with the Hærethas and with the [Hundings];
With the Israelites I was and with the Assyrians,
And with the Hebrews and with the Egyptians and with the Hindus I was,
[With] the Medes I was and with the Persians and with the Myrging folk,
85 And with the Mofdings I was and against the Myrging band,
And with the Amothingians. With the [East Thuringians] I was
And with the Eolas and with the [Istians] and with the Idumingas.
And I was with [Eormanric] all of the time;
There the king of the Goths gave me in honor
90 The choicest of bracelets —the chief of the burghers—
On which were six hundred pieces of precious gold,
Of shining metal in shillings counted;
I gave over this armlet to [Eadgils] then,
To my kind protector when I came to my home,
95 To my beloved prince, the lord of the Myrgings,
Who gave me the land that was left by my father;
And [Ealhhild] then also another ring gave me,
Queen of the doughty ones, the daughter of Eadwine.
Her praise has passed to all parts of the world,
100 Wherever in song I sought to tell
Where I knew under heavens the noblest of queens,
Golden-adorned, giving forth treasures.
Then in company with Scilling, in clear ringing voice
’Fore our beloved lord I uplifted my song;
105 Loudly the harp in harmony sounded;
Then many men with minds discerning
Spoke of our lay in unsparing praise,
That they never had heard a nobler song.
Then I roamed through all the realm of the Goths;
110 Unceasing I sought the surest of friends,
The crowd of comrades of the court of Eormanric.
Hethca sought I and Beadeca and the Harlungs,
[Emerca] sought I and Fridla and East-Gota,
Sage and noble, the sire of Unwen.
115 Secca sought I and [Becca], Seafola and Theodoric,
Heathoric and [Sifeca], Hlithe and Incgentheow.
[Eadwine sought I and Elsa] Ægelmund and Hungar
And the worthy troop of the With-Myrgings.
[Wulfhere sought I and Wyrmhere]: there war was seldom lacking
120 When the host of the [Hrædas] with hardened swords
Must wage their wars [by the woods of Vistula]
To hold their homes from the hordes of Attila.
Rædhere sought I and Rondhere, Rumstan and Gislhere,
Withergield and Freotheric, [Wudga and Hama]:
125 These warriors were not the worst of comrades,
Though their names at the last of my list are numbered.
Full oft from that host the hissing spear
Fiercely flew on the foemen’s troopers.
There the wretches ruled with royal treasure,
130 [Wudga and Hama], over women and men.
So I ever have found as I fared among men
That in all the land most beloved is he
To whom God giveth a goodly kingdom
To hold as long as he liveth here.
135 [Thus wandering widely] through the world there go
Minstrels of men through many lands,
Express their needs and speak their thanks.
Ever south and north some one they meet
Skillful in song who scatters gifts,
140 To further his fame before his chieftains,
To do deeds of honor, till all shall depart,
Light and life together: lasting praise he gains,
And has under heaven the highest of honor.
[4.] Myrging. Nothing is known with any degree of certainty about this tribe. Chambers concludes that they dwelt south of the River Eider, which is the present boundary between Schleswig and Holstein, and that they belonged to the Suevic stock of peoples. See [vv. 84, 85, below].
[5.] Ealhhild. See notes to [vv. 8] and [97], below. Much discussion has taken place as to who Ealhhild was. Summing up his lengthy discussion, Chambers says (Widsith, p. 28): “For these reasons it seems best to regard Ealhhild as the murdered wife of Eormanric, the Anglian equivalent of the Gothic Sunilda and the Northern Swanhild.”
[7.] Hræda king. That is, the Gothic king.
[8.] Angles. One of the Low Germanic tribes that later settled in Britain, and from whom the name England is derived. Their original home was in the modern Schleswig-Holstein. Eormanric. See [v. 88, below], and [Deor’s Lament, v. 21]. He was a king of the Goths. After his death, about 375 A.D., he came to be known as the typical bad king, covetous, fierce, and cruel. According to the Scandinavian form of the story, the king sends his son and a treacherous councillor, Bikki (the Becca of [v. 19]) to woo and bring to the court the maiden Swanhild. Bikki urges the son to woo her for himself and then betrays him to his father, who has him hanged and causes Swanhild to be trampled to death by horses. Her brothers revenge her death and wound the king. At this juncture the Huns attack him, and during the attack Eormanric dies.
[11.] The proverb, or “gnomic verse,” is very common in Old English poetry.
[14.] Hwala appears in the West Saxon genealogies as son of Beowi, son of Sceaf (see Beowulf, vv. 4, 18).
[15.] Alexander [the Great]. The writer speaks of many celebrities who were obviously too early for him to know personally. This passage is usually considered to be an interpolation.
[18.] Becca. See [note to v. 8]. The Banings are not definitely identified. The Burgundians were originally an East Germanic tribe. During the second and third centuries they were neighbors of the Goths and lived in the modern Posen. Later they moved west, and finally threatened Gaul, where in the middle of the fifth century they were defeated by the Roman general, Aetius. Shortly afterward they were defeated by the Huns. The remnant settled in Savoy, where they gradually recovered, and by the middle of the sixth century became an important nation. Gifica (or Gibica) was traditionally spoken of as an early king who ruled over the Burgundians while they were still in the east, living as neighbors of the Goths on the Vistula.
[20.] Cæsar, was the name given to the Emperor of the East—the “Greek Emperor.” The Finns were at that time located in their present home in Finland.
[21, 22.] Hagena, Heoden, Wada. These heroes all belong to one myth-cycle, which was told in Europe for many centuries. It is difficult to reconstruct the story as it was known at the time Widsith was written, for it has received many additions at the hands of subsequent writers. The essential parts of the tale seem to be these: Heoden asks his servant, the sweet-singing Heorrenda, for help in wooing Hild, the daughter of Hagena. Heorrenda, enlisting the services of Wada, the renowned sea-monster (or sea-god) goes to woo Hild. By means of Wada’s frightful appearance and skill in swordsmanship they attract Hild’s attention, and Heorrenda then sings so that the birds are shamed into silence. They then woo Hild and flee with her from her father’s court. Hagena pursues, and Heoden, after marrying Hild, engages him in battle. Each evening Hild goes to the battlefield and by magic awakens the warriors who have fallen, and they fight the same battle over day after day without ceasing. Heorrenda, the sweet singer of the Heodenings (i.e., of the court of Heoden) is mentioned in Deor’s Lament, vv. [36 and 39]. Wada is a widely-known legendary character. He had power over the sea. He was the father of Weland, the Vulcan of Norse myth (see [Deor’s Lament], and [Waldhere, A, v. 2]). The Holm-Rugians and the Hælsings were in the fourth century on the Baltic coast of Germany. The Glommas are unknown.
[24.] Theodoric, son of Chlodowech, king of the Franks, is meant, and not the famous Gothic king. Cf. [v. 115, below].
[25.] Breoca: the same as Breca, prince of the Brondings, the opponent of Beowulf in his famous swimming match (Beowulf, vv. 499-606).
[27, 28.] Finn Folcwalding was the traditional hero of the Frisians. For fragments of the stories connected with him, see Beowulf, vv. 1068-1159, and the fragmentary poem, The Fight at Finnsburg ([p. 34, below]). Hnæf, son of Hoc (hence ruler of the Hocings) also figures in the Finn story. Hnæf’s sister marries Finn. For a summary of the story see the Introduction to The Fight at Finnsburg.
[30.] Thuringians. These people dwelt near the mouths of the Rhine and the Maas.
[31.] Ongentheow, the king of Sweden, is frequently mentioned in Beowulf (e.g., vv. 2476 and 2783). The Secgans are unknown, but they are mentioned in [v. 62, below], and in [The Fight at Finnsburg, v. 26].
[32.] The ancient home of the Longobards (or Lombards) was between the Baltic and the Elbe.
[35.] Offa: a legendary king of the Angles, while they still lived on the continent toward the end of the fourth century. Legends of him are found in Denmark and in England. Chambers concludes that the Danish form is perhaps very near that known to the author of Widsith. Offa, the son of the king, though a giant in stature, is dumb from his youth, and when the German prince from the south challenges the aged king to send a champion to defend his realm in single combat, Offa’s speech is restored and he goes to the combat. The fight was held at Fifeldore, the River Eider, which was along the frontier between the Germans and the Danes. Here Offa fought against two champions and defeated them both, thus establishing the frontier for many years. Note that the author of Widsith, who is of the Myrging race, is here celebrating the defeat of his own people.
[44.] Swabians probably refers to the Myrgings, who were of the stock of the Suevi.
[45.] Hrothwulf and Hrothgar. See Beowulf, vv. 1017 and 1181 ff. Hrothgar is Hrothwulf’s uncle, and they live on friendly terms at Heorot (Hrothgar’s hall). Later it seems that Hrothwulf fails to perform his duties as the guardian of Hrothgar’s son, thus bringing to an end his years of friendliness to Hrothgar and his sons. The fight referred to is against Ingeld, Hrothgar’s son-in-law who invaded the Danish kingdom. (See Beowulf, vv. 84, 2024 ff.)
[57.] See [v. 18, above].
[58.] The Geats were probably settled in southern Sweden. They were the tribe to which Beowulf belonged.
[60.] The Gepidæ were closely related to the Goths and were originally located near them at the mouth of the Vistula River. The Wends were a Slavonic tribe who finally pressed up into the lands vacated in the great migrations by the Germans between the Elbe and the Vistula.
[61.] Angles. See [vv. 8] and [44], above. Swæfe. See [line 44, above].
[62.] The Saxons, who with the Angles and Jutes settled Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries, lived originally near the mouth of the Elbe.
[63.] The Heatho-Raemas dwelt near the modern Christiania in Norway. See Beowulf, line 518, in which Breca in the swimming match reaches their land.
[65.] Burgundians. See [v. 19].
[66.] Guthhere was a ruler of the Burgundians ([v. 19]). He was probably at Worms when he gave the jewel to Widsith. Guthhere, because of his great battle with Attila and his tragic defeat, became a great legendary hero. (See [Waldhere, B, v. 14].)
[67.] The Franks and the Frisians are spoken of together in Beowulf (vv. 1207, 1210, 2917), where they together repulse an attack made by Hygelac. The Frisians probably dwelt west of the Zuider Zee.
[68.] The Rugians and the Glommas. See [note to v. 21], above.
[70.] Ælfwine: (otherwise known as Alboin), the Lombard conqueror of Italy. He was the son of Audoin (Eadwine).
[75-87.] Most scholars agree that these lines are interpolated, since they do not fit in with the rest of the poem.
[75.] Serings: possibly Syrians.
[78.] Welsh: a term applied to the Romans by the Old English writers.
[79.] The Scride-Finns were settled in northern Norway—not in Finland, where the main body of Finns were found. They are perhaps to be identified with the modern Lapps.
[80.] Lidwicingas: the inhabitants of Armorica. Longobards. See [v. 32].
[81.] The Hundings are also mentioned in [line 23].
[84, 85.] Myrging. See [line 4].
[86.] East Thuringians. Probably those Thuringians dwelling in the sixth century east of the Elbe.
[87.] Istians. Probably the Esthonians mentioned in the [Voyage of Wulfstan]. (See [p. 194, line 151, below].) The Idumingas were neighbors of the Istians. Both were probably Lettish or Lithuanian tribes.
[88.] Eormanric. See [note to v. 8], above.
[93.] Eadgils was king of the Myrgings.
[97.] Ealhhild. See [note to v. 5], above. She was (v. 98) daughter of Eadwine, King of the Lombards ([v. 74]). The meaning here is not absolutely clear, but Chambers makes a good case for considering her the wife of Eormanric. He thinks that she followed her husband’s gift to Widsith by a gift of another ring, in return for which Widsith sings her praises.
[112, 113.] Emerca and Fridla, the Harlungs, were murdered by their uncle, Eormanric. East-Gota, or Ostrogotha, the king of the united Goths in the middle of the third century, was a direct ancestor of Eormanric.
[115.] Becca. See [note to v. 8]. Seafola and Theodoric: probably Theodoric of Verona and his retainer, Sabene of Ravenna. On the other hand, the references may be to Theoderic the Frank. (See [v. 24].)
[116.] Sifeca: probably the evil councillor who brought about the murder by Eormanric of his nephews, the Harlungs. (See [vv. 112, 113, note].)
[117-119.] These names are all very obscure.
[120.] Hrædas: the Goths.
[121.] The struggle between the Goths and the Huns did not actually occur in the Vistula wood, but after the Goths had left the Vistula.
[124, 130.] Wudga and Hama. The typical outlaws of German tradition. Hama appears in Beowulf (v. 1198) as a fugitive who has stolen the Brising necklace and fled from Eormanric. Wudga, the Widia of Waldhere ([B, vv. 4, 9]) came finally to be known for his treachery. He was connected with the court of Theodoric and received gifts from him, but he is later represented as having betrayed the king. The traditions about both of these men are badly confused.
[135-143.] One of the passages that give us a definite impression of the scop, or minstrel, and his life. It serves very well for the conclusion of a poem descriptive of the life of a minstrel.
DEOR’S LAMENT
[Critical text and translation: Dickins, Runic and Heroic Poems, Cambridge University Press, 1915, p. 70.
Alliterative translation: Gummere, Oldest English Epic (1910), p. 186.
The metrical arrangement of this poem into strophes with a constant refrain is very unusual in the poetry of the Anglo-Saxons, though it is common among their Scandinavian kinsmen. This fact has led some scholars to believe that we have here a translation from the Old Norse. Professor Gummere, however, makes a good case against this assumption.
The first three strophes refer to the widely known story of Weland, or Wayland, the Vulcan of Norse myth. The crafty king, Nithhad, captures Weland, fetters him (according to some accounts, hamstrings him), and robs him of the magic ring that gives him power to fly. Beadohild, Nithhad’s daughter, accompanied by her brothers, goes to Weland and has him mend rings for her. In this way he recovers his own ring and his power to fly. Before leaving he kills the sons of Nithhad, and, stupefying Beadohild with liquor, puts her to shame.]
To [Weland] came woes and wearisome trial,
And cares oppressed the constant earl;
His lifelong companions were pain and sorrow,
And winter-cold weeping: his ways were oft hard,
5 After Nithhad had struck the strong man low,
Cut the supple sinew-bands of the sorrowful earl.
That has passed over: so this may depart!
[Beadohild] bore her brothers’ death
Less sorely in soul than herself and her plight
10 When she clearly discovered her cursed condition,
That unwed she should bear a babe to the world.
She never could think of the thing that must happen.
That has passed over: so this may depart!
Much have we learned of [Mæthhild’s life]:
15 How the courtship of Geat was crowned with grief,
How love and its sorrows allowed him no sleep.
That has passed over: so this may depart!
[Theodoric] held for thirty winters
The town of the [Mærings]: that was told unto many.
20 That has passed 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 wishing always
That the cruel king might be conquered at last.
That has passed 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 God 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 passed over: so this may depart!
[1.] Weland, or Wayland; the blacksmith of the Norse gods. 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, xxxvii, 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.] Mærings: 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: Dickins, 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 Gibicho, king of the Franks, who sent as hostage a youth of noble 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 Gibicho, 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.
6 Vanguard of Attila, thy valor must ever
Endure the conflict! The day is now come,
9 When fate shall award you one or the other:
10 To lose your life or have lasting glory,
Through all the ages, O Ælfhere’s son!
No fault do I find, my faithful lover,
Saying I have seen thee at sword-play weaken,
Yield like a coward to a conqueror’s arms,
15 Flee from the field of fight and escape,
Protect thy body, though bands of the foemen
Were smiting thy burnies with broad-edged swords;
But unfalt’ring still farther the fight thou pursuedst
Over the line of battle; hence, my lord, I am burdened
20 With fear that too fiercely to the fight thou shalt rush
To the place of encountering thy opponent in conflict,
To wage on him war. Be worthy of thyself
In glorious deeds while thy God protects thee!
Have no fear as to sword for the fine-gemmed weapon
25 Has been given thee to aid us: on Guthhere with it
Thou shalt pay back the wrong of unrighteously seeking
To stir up the struggle and strife of battle;
[He rejected that sword] and the jewelled treasure,
The lustrous gems; now, leaving them all,
30 He shall flee from this field to find his lord,
His ancient land, or lie here forever
Asleep, if he . . . . . . . .”
[1.] The speaker is Hildegyth (the Old English form for Hiltgund).
[2.] Weland: the blacksmith of Teutonic myth. See Deor’s Lament, [introductory note], and notes to [vv. 1] and [8].
[3.] Mimming was the most famous of the swords made by Weland.
[28.] Waldhere had offered Guthhere a large share of the treasure as an inducement for him to desist from the attack, and Guthhere had refused it.
B
Except that other, which also I have
[Closely encased] in its cover of jewels.
[I know that Theodoric] thought that to Widia
5 Himself he would send it, and the sword he would join
With large measure of jewels and many other brands,
Worked all with gold. This reward he would send
Because, when a captive, the kinsman of Nithhad,
Weland’s son, Widia, from his woes had released him—
10 Thus in haste he escaped from the hands of the giants.”
Waldhere spoke, the warrior brave;
He held in his hand his helper in battle,
He grasped his weapon, shouting words of defiance:
“Indeed, thou hadst faith, O [friend of the Burgundians],
15 That the hand of [Hagena] had held me in battle,
Defeated me on foot. Fetch now, if thou darest,
From me weary with war my worthy gray corselet!
It lies on my shoulder as ’twas left me by Ælfhere,
Goodly and gorgeous and gold-bedecked,
20 The most honorable of all for an atheling to hold
When he goes into battle to guard his life,
To fight with his foes: fail me it will never
When a stranger band shall strive to encounter me,
Besiege me with swords, as thou soughtest to do.
25 He alone will vouchsafe the victory who always
Is eager and ready to aid every right:
He who hopes for the help of the holy Lord,
For the grace of God, shall gain it surely,
If his earlier work has earned the reward.
30 Well may the brave warriors then their wealth enjoy,
Take pride in their property! That is . . . .”
[1.] The opening of the second fragment finds the two champions ready for the final struggle. Guthhere is finishing his boast, in which he praises his equipment.
[3.] The meaning of this passage is obscure, but the translation here given seems to be the most reasonable conjecture. He probably refers to a sword that he has at hand in a jewelled case ready for use.
[4.] Stopping thus to give a history of the weapon calls to mind many similar passages in the Homeric poems. The particular story in mind here is the escape of Theodoric from the giants. He loses his way and falls into the hands of one of the twelve giants who guard Duke Nitger. He gains the favor of Nitger’s sister, and through her lets his retainers, Hildebrand, Witige, and Heime know of his plight. They defeat the giants and release him. Witige and Heime are the Middle High German forms for the old English Widia (see [Deor’s Lament, v. 8, note]), or Wudga and Hama (see [Widsith, vv. 124, 130, note]).
[14.] Friend of the Burgundians: a usual old English expression for “king.” Guthhere was king of the Burgundians in the middle of the fifth century (see Widsith, [vv. 19], [66], notes).
[15.] Hagena is now the only one of Guthhere’s comrades that has not been killed by Waldhere. Cf. [Widsith, v. 21].
THE FIGHT AT FINNSBURG
[Edition used: Chambers, Beowulf, p. 158. See also Dickins, Runic and Heroic Poems, p. 64.
Alliterative translation, Gummere, Oldest English Epic, p. 160.
The manuscript is now lost. We have only an inaccurate version printed by Hickes at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Many difficulties are therefore found in the text. For a good discussion of the text, see an article by Mackie in The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, xvi, 250.
This fragment belongs to the epic story of Finn which is alluded to at some length in Beowulf (vv. 1068-1159). The saga can be reconstructed in its broad outlines, though it is impossible to be sure of details. One of the most puzzling of these details is the position in which the “Fight” occurs. In the story are two fights, either one of which may be the one described in the fragment. The weight of opinion seems to favor the first conflict, that in which Hnæf is killed. As summarized by Möller, the Finn story is briefly as follows:
“Finn, king of the Frisians, had carried off Hildeburh, daughter of Hoc (Beowulf, v. 1076), probably with her consent. Her father Hoc seems to have pursued the fugitives, and to have been slain in the fight which ensued on his overtaking them. After the lapse of some twenty years, Hoc’s sons Hnæf and Hengest, were old enough to undertake the duty of avenging their father’s death. They make an inroad into Finn’s country and a battle takes place in which many warriors, among them Hnæf and a son of Finn (1074, 1079, 1115), are killed. Peace is therefore solemnly concluded, and the slain warriors are burnt (1068-1124).
“As the year is too far advanced for Hengest to return home (1130 ff.), he and those of his men who survive remain for the winter in the Frisian country with Finn. But Hengest’s thoughts dwell constantly on the death of his brother Hnæf, and he would gladly welcome any excuse to break the peace which had been sworn by both parties. His ill concealed desire for revenge is noticed by the Frisians, who anticipate it by themselves taking the initiative and attacking Hengest and his men whilst they are sleeping in the hall. This is the night attack described in the “Fight.” It would seem that after a brave and desperate resistance Hengest himself falls in this fight at the hands of Hunlafing (1143), but two of his retainers, Guthlaf and Oslaf, succeed in cutting their way through their enemies and in escaping to their own land. They return with fresh troops, attack and slay Finn, and carry his queen, Hildeburh, off with them (1125-1159).”—Wyatt, Beowulf, (1901), p. 145.
Professor Gummere finds in the fragment an example bearing out his theory of the development of the epic. “The qualities which difference it from Beowulf,” he says, “are mainly negative; it lacks sentiment, moralizing, the leisure of the writer; it did not attempt probably to cover more than a single event; and one will not err in finding it a fair type of the epic songs which roving singers were wont to sing before lord and liegeman in hall and which were used with more or less fidelity by makers of complete epic poems.”]
“. . . . . . . . [Are] the gables not burning?”
Boldly replied then the [battle-young king]:
“The day is not dawning; no dragon is flying,
And the high gable-horns of the hall are not burning,
5 [But] the brave men are bearing the battle line forward,
[While] bloodthirsty sing the birds of slaughter.
Now clangs the gray corselet, clashes the war-wood,
Shield answers shaft. Now shineth the moon,
Through its cover of clouds. Now cruel days press us
10 That will drive this folk to deadly fight.
But wake at once, my warriors bold,
Stand now to your armor and strive for honor;
Fight at the front unafraid and undaunted.”
[Then] arose from their rest, ready and valiant,
15 [Gold-bedecked] soldiers, and girded their swords.
The noble knights went now to the door
And seized their swords, [Sigeferth] and Eaha,
And to the other door [Ordlaf and Guthlaf],
And [Hengest] who followed to help the defense.
20 Now [Guthere restrained] Garulf from strife,
Lest fearless at the first of the fight he rush
To the door and daringly endanger his life,
Since now it was stormed by so stalwart a hero.
But unchecked by these words a challenge he shouted,
25 Boldly demanding what man held the door.
“I am [Sigferth],” he said, “the Secgan’s prince;
Wide have I wandered; many woes have I known
[And] bitter battles. Be it bad or good
[Thou] shalt surely receive what thou seekest from me.”
30 At the wall by the door rose the din of battle;
In the hands of heroes the hollow bucklers
Shattered the shields. Shook then the hall floor
Till there fell in the fight the faithful [Garulf],
Most daring and doughty of the dwellers on earth,
35 [The son of Guthlaf]; and scores fell with him.
O’er the corpses hovered the hungry raven,
Swarthy and sallow-brown. A sword-gleam blazed
As though all Finnsburg in flames were burning.
Never heard I of heroes more hardy in war,
40 Of sixty who strove more strongly or bravely,
Of swains who repaid their sweet mead better
Than his loyal liegemen to their loved Hnæf.
Five days they fought, but there fell not a one
Of the daring band, though the doors they held always.
45 Now went from the warfare .
He said that his burnie was broken asunder,
His precious war-gear, and pierced was his helmet.
[Then] questioned [their chief] and inquired of him
How the warriors recovered from the wounds they received,
50 Or which of the youths . . . . . . .
[1.] The fragment begins in the middle of a word.
[2.] The “battle-young king” is probably the Hengest of [v. 19]. Possibly he is to be identified with Hengest, the conqueror of Kent.
[5, 6.] In the original these lines seem to be incomplete. The translation attempts to keep the intended meaning.
[14, 15.] In the original these appear as a single greatly expanded line, which was probably at one time two lines.
[17.] Sigeferth (see also [line 26]), prince of the Secgans is probably identical with Sæferth who ruled the Secgans in [Widsith, v. 31].
[18.] Ordlaf and Guthlaf appear in the account in Beowulf (vv. 1148, ff.) as Oslaf and Guthlaf. They are the avengers of Hnæf.
[20.] From the construction it is impossible to tell who is the speaker and who is being restrained. But from [line 33] it is seen to be Garulf who neglects the advice and is killed. Garulf and Guthere are, of course, of the attacking band.
[26.] Sigferth, one of the defenders. See [v. 17, above].
[28, 29.] These lines are obscure. Probably they mean that Garulf may have as good as he sends in the way of a fight.
[35.] Guthlaf, the father of Garulf (the assailant) was probably not the Guthalf of [line 18], who was a defender. If we have here a conflict between father and son, very little is made of it.
[45.] It is impossible to tell who the wounded warrior was or which chief is referred to in [line 48].