Summary of the Thidrekssaga

Now king Samson ordered a great feast in Bern, and here Odilia, jarl Elsung's daughter, was married to Dietmar, and Samson gave him the king's name and Bern and all the lands jarl Elsung had held. And the town called FritilaSee the notes in 282, which the Northmen call Friðsæla he gave to his son Ake, called Harlungentrost, and with it the name of dukeand not king because Ake's mother was of low birth.

Then Ermenrik went south to Rome with his father king Samson, and on this journey Samson died. Ermenrik took his entire realm and then fought against Rome, and had several battles with the men of Rome and did many heroic deeds and conquered the best part of the territory of Rome and many other strong towns until even in Puli. He also conquered the larger part of the realm on the Greek seaGrekin; according to Ritter this is Grach on the Mosel until the mountains in the north, and much of the Greek islands, and thus he became the richest and most powerful of all kings. He was friendly and peaceful in the first part of his reign.

King Dietrich's coat of arms was as follows: red, with a golden lion whose head touched the top of the shield and its feet the rimYou know who adopted the same coat of arms? The family of king Håkon of Norway, the saga writer's patron — though not, it appears, the king himself.. Now that Dietrich was king he had added a golden crown to the lion's head. He had this coat of arms because the lion is the noblest of all animals, and all other animals fear it. Also it was custom that no one was allowed to carry a lion in his coat of arms who would ever flee.