Heroic Legends of the North : An Introduction to the Nibelung and Dietrich Cycles

Originally published in 1996, this book is a study of two of the central themes of medieval German mythology, the Dietrich and Nibelung legends. It traces its two legendary topics form their historical roots during the last centuries of the Roman Empire to the medieval texts that make them known to us. Many of the medieval texts have never been translated into English or even modern German. A synopsis of each work is therefore included so that the reader can form an idea of the content of the works in question. The book takes a text-oriented approach. The book includes a chronological chart which puts most of the texts and literary works discussed in a European and world context. Preface A Note on Languages and Alphabets Chronological Chart Abbreviations PART ONE: BACKGROUND The Germanic Legends The Medieval Literary Versions The Hero, Heroic Poetry, and the Heroic Age The Germanic Peoples and Their Heroic Tradition Germanic Among the European Language Families The Germanic Peoples The Heroic Legends Formation and Transmission of Heroic Legend The First Stage: Eyewitness Reports The Second Stage: Oral Epic Poetry The Third Stage: Medieval Literature Historical Background The Roman Empire in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Centuries Ermanaric The Burgundians on the Rhine Attila Theoderic the Great Brünhild Historical Sources Primary Historical Sources Lex Burgundionum Jordanes Gregory the Great Gregory of Tours Gesta Theoderici Medieval Chronicles Quedlinburg Annals Frutolf von Michelsberg Kaiserchronik Other High Medieval Historical Sources Oral Transmission Epic Theory from the Nineteenth Century Oral Poetry Germanic Oral Narrative Poetry The Common Form The Development of the Middle High German Form The Special Case of Old Norse The Oral Transmission of Germanic Heroic Legend PART TWO: LITERARY WORKS Literary Works Table of Motifs Traces in Early Literature Deor and WidsiÞ Wulf and Eadwacer Beowulf Walther and Hildegund Waltharius Waldere Walther und Hildegunt Valtari (in the Þiðrekssaga) Wayland (Wieland, Velent) the Smith Völundarkviða Velent's Story (from the Þiðrekssaga) The Dietrich Legend Þidrekssaga of Bern (The Saga of Þiðrek of Bern) Hildebrandslied, Older and Younger Das Buck von Bern (Dietrichs Flucht) Rabenschlacht Alpharts Tod The poems in Bernerton Virginal Eckenliet Ekka (in the Þiðrekssaga) Sigenot Goldetmar Biterolf und Dietleip Laurin Walberan Dietrich und Wezelan Der Wundenr Ermenrikes Dôt Heldenbuch Prose The Nibelung Legend Nibelungenlied Diu Klage Sigurð's Youth and Murder in the Þiðrekssaga Völsungasaga Nornagests Þáttr Niflunga saga in the Þiðrekssaga Poetic Edda Helgi Hundingsbani Sigurð and Brynhild Guðrún Oddrun Atli Hamðismál Snorra Edda Rosengarten zu Worms Das Lied vom Hürnen Seyfrid Related Legends Wolfdietrich-Ortnit Ortnit Wolfdietrich D(B) Wolfdietrich A Wolfdietrich C Kudrun Rother Glossary of Names Index