Old English Poems Part 3

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 wishing 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 Gibicho, 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 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 aelfhere'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 G.o.d 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 l.u.s.trous 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

" . . . . . . . . a better sword 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 aelfhere, 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 G.o.d, 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 pa.s.sage 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 pa.s.sages 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 d.i.c.kins, _Runic and Heroic Poems_, p. 64.

Alliterative translation, Gummere, _Oldest English Epic_, p. 160.

The ma.n.u.script 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.