Summary of the Thidrekssaga

Then a knight called Walther of the Waskastein spoke up, and he was the sister son of kings Ermenrik and Dietmar, and the best of all knights at courtErmenrik's court, I presume.. And he wondered what this man could do besides spending money and eating and drinking. Does he know anything about spear and stone throwing? Detlef said he did. Then Walther challenged him to a contest, and the wager was his head. And if Detlef refused, he would lose his life and honour, and thus he would never lose so much money or mock noble kings. And Detlef agreed, and said he would lose his life if he lost, but he didn't think that would happen.

Then they went to a field, took a stone that weighed no less than two ship's poundsskippund, and Walther threw it nine feet, but Detlef threw it ten feet. Then Walther threw it thirteen feet, but Detlef threw it eighteen feet. Then Walther acknolwedged Detlef had won, and everyone was amazed.

Now they took a banner polemerkistöng; like Ermenrik uses in 282 that belonged to king Attila, whom Ermenrik had also invited to his feast. This banner pole was the heaviest of them all, and Walther took it and threw it over the king's hall so that one end hit the further wall. And all who saw that thought it was a strong throw.

Then Detlef took the pole and threw it back across the hall, and as soon as he had thrown it he ran through the hall, which had two doors, and caught it in the air. And all said that Detlef had won the contest and had acquired Walther's head.

But king Ermenrik said, Good man, I'd like to ransom my nephew's head with gold, silver, and jewelry. And Detlef said, What should I do with his head? He is a good knight, and I'll gladly give you his head, and pay me whatever you think fitting. And the king agreed.

And then the king paid his as much money as he had spent, and bought back the horses and arms Detlef had pawned, and also the money Detlef had spent from his own pocket, and he knighted him.

Then Detlef revealed his name and ancestry, and Dietrich made him one of his companions. And then Dietrich went home with all his men, including Detlef, and the chief minstrel Isung went with them.

The next morning king Dietrich told his uncle king Ermenrik about the fall of the jarl, and Ermenrik blew the horns and stormed the castle. The men in the castle saw no solution except to surrender, and king Ermenrik granted them their life and goods, and set his relative Walther of Waskastein over them.

Then the kings rode home, and both said in their realm, king Ermenrik in Rome, and king Dietrich with his heroes in Bern. And king Dietrich sat at home quietly for a while, as he rarely did in his days, because he preferred to be involved in battles and duels that will be famous through all times.

King Attila of Soest was rich and powerful, and subjected many lands. He concluded an alliance with king Ermenrik of PuliWhy not Rome?. The two kings confirmed their alliance by exchanging hostages. King Attila sent his nephew Osid and twelve knights to king Ermenrik, while king Ermenrik sent his Walther of Waskastein, his sister's son, with twelve knights.

Walther was then twelveSo say A and B; Mb. has four, but that seems too young winters old, and stayed there for seven winters. Two winters after his arrival came to Soest Hildegund, daughter of jarl Ilias of Greken, she was sent to the king as hostage and was then seven winters old. The two young people loved each other very much, without king Attila knowing about it.

• What is Hagen doing here? Either he took service with Attila for a while, of which we hear nothing more, or he was a hostage, too.

One day there was a wonderful feast and ring dancedans ríkr in king Attila's garden, and there Walther took Hildegund by the hand and they talked for a long time without anyone noticing.

He said: How long do you want to stay a handmaiden to queen Erka? It would be better for you to come with me to my relatives. She asked him not to mock her, because she was not with her kinsmenUnclear.

Walther said: Lady, you are the daughter of jarl Ilias of Greken, and your father's brother is king Osantrix of Wilkinenland, and also in Reussení mikla Rúzi. I am the sister son of king Ermenrik of Rome, and another relative of mine is Dietrich von Bern. Then why should I serve king Attila? Now come with me, and love me as much as I love youretranslate.

She said: Now that I know your will truly, you shall know mine: I was fourseven! winters old when I saw you for the first time, and I loved you as much as anything in the world, and I’ll come with you wherever you want.

Then Walther said: If that's true, then come to the outer gateor tower? borgarhlið when the sun rises, and take as much gold as you can hold in your hands. And she said she'd do so.

King Attila became aware of all this only when Walther and Hildegund had ridden from Soest. They took a lot of gold with them, and rode away alone, for they had confided in no one.

When king Attila found out that Walther and Hildegund had fled, he ordered twelve of his men to ride after them, and they should take back all the gold they had stolen, and also Walther's head. Among them there was also a man called Hagen, kung Aldrian's son. These twelve knights pursued the two fugitives and quicly saw them ride ahead.

Then Walther sprang from his stallion and hid Hildegund and the treasure under itvery unclear, and then he remounted, put his helmet on his head, and his spear forward.

Then Hildegund said: It's a pity you should fight alone against twelve knights, you should rather turn back and save your life. Walther told her not to cry. He had seen helmets cleaved before, and shields split, and armour sundered, and headless men falling off their horsesAlmost seems like a poetic quotation, and I've done all of that with my own hands, and these men are not too much for me.

Now they rode against each other, and battle broke out, and it became night before it was over.

Although he had killed eleven knights, Walther was badly wounded, but Hagen had fled into the forest. Walther went back to his wife and stayed with her there in the forest. He struck fire from flints and built a large fire, and roasted a ham of a wild boarbeysti villigaltar, and they ate and didn't stop until everything had been taken off the bones.

Then Hagen sprang from the bushes, and to the fire where Walther sat, and Hagen drew his sword and wanted to kill him. Hildegund warned Walther to defend himself, because one of the enemies had come back. Then Walther took the ham that was eateni.e. the left-over bones and threw it at Hagen, and struck him so hard that he fell to the ground. And the bone hit him on the cheek so that his flesh was torn and his eye popped out. Then Hagen quickly rose, mounted his horse, rode back to Soest, and told king Attila of his journey.

Walther also mounted and rode south over the mountains to king Ermenrik, and told him the entire adventure. They recovered king Attila's friendship by the rich gifts that king Ermenrik gave him.

Then jarl Iron rode home, but not long after his wife Isolde died.

King Attila of SoestIron's lord rode south to Rome to a feast by king Ermenrik, and Iron went with him. Overnight they staid in the castle called Fritila, where they were received by duke Ake Harlungtrost, king Ermenrik's brother. Here Iron and Bolfriana saw one another for the first time, and they admired one another from afar, and Iron gave her the golden ring that had belonged to Herburg, king Salomon's daughter.

The next morning they went on to the feast, and Dietrich von Bern and Witig and Heime were also there. This was the feast where Detlef the Dane battled with Walther of Waskastein129, as has been written before.

And when light came king Dietrich rose and had his horns blown, and then Diether did the same, as did margrave Rodinger. And now all rose and armed themselves. And when they had mounted master Hildebrand rode in front with king Dietrich's banner pole in his hands, and close behind him king Dietrich with all his men. And they rode to the same ford that Hildebrand had used during the night.

And when the Amelungen saw this, Sibich had king Ermenrik's horns blown, and Witig and Reinald did the same, and all their men armed themselves. Witig mounted his horse Schimming and was ready to fight; and so too Reinald with his army.

Walther of Waskastein bore king Ermenrik's banner in his hand, this banner had the outer part in black like a raven's, and the next part gold, and the third one green as grass, and seventy golden bells were sewn into this banner, so that one could hear it throughout the entire army as soon as the banner was moved or touched by the wind. And behind him came Sibich with his men.

And when king Dietrich saw king Ermenrik's banner and knew Sibich followed it, he called on master Hildebrand to carry his banner that way; and this banner was made of white silk, and had a golden lion with a crown, and no fewer than seventy bells hung from it; queen Erka had had this banner made and gave it to king Dietrich. So these two armies rode to one another.

Then rode Reinald with his troupe; and his banner was red silk like blood, and on the tip of the pole were three golden knots. And he led his army against margrave Rodinger.

Then rode Witig with his army, and his banner was carried by the strong Runga - no giant was found with equal strength - and this banner was black, and a white hammer, tongues, and anvil on it. Against him rode duke Nudung, and he bore a white banner with a golden lion, and this banner queen Erka had given to Diether. And after him rode Diether and Erp and Ortwin, Attila's sons, and the good knight Helfrich. Their shoes were covered with red gold so that they had a glow as if of fire.

Now the six army groups met. Dietrich rode in front on his good stallion Falke with his sword Eckisax, and killed men and horses on both sides, and before him rode master Hildebrand carrying his banner and slaying men with his free hand, and their companion Wildeber followed them, and many Amelungen from Sibich's army fell.

Then king Dietrich called loudly: You have fought against the Reussen and Wilkinenmen, and we were usually victorious, but in this battle we fight for our lands and realm, so let's win great fame by reconquering it.

Now king Dietrich rode in the middle of Sibich's army and slew man and horse, and when he had come in the middle he went back by another way, and he was much feared. And by another route Wildeber rode through the Amelungen army, and no man held against him.

Walther of Waskastein saw how much damage Wildeber was doing to the Amelungen, and how they fled for him, and rode against him and hit him with his spear in the breast so that it exited between the shoulder blades. And Wildeber struck off the spear's shaft and struck Walther's thigh in the saddle, and pierced the armour and his sword got stuck in the saddle, and both fell dead from their horsesIt is unclear to me why Walther would die instantly of this wound..

When Sibich saw that his banner had fallen, and the strong Walther with it, he turned his horse and fled, and his men with him. But king Dietrich and his men pursued the fugitives for a long time and killed them all day long, and it took quite a while before he returned.