Summary of the Thidrekssaga

But when king Wilkinus had ruled this realm for a while he called up his army and rode into Púlínaland. There he encountered king Hertnit, who ruled Reussland and Greece and Hungary, and all of Austria was subjected to him and his brother Hirdir. King Wilkinus was victorious, and he marched on to Reussland and rode into Holmgard, king Hertnit’s capital. Hertnit fled after a bitter struggle, and his brother Hirdir fell, and a large part of the Reuss army. And king Wilkinus took much gold and silver.

A while later Wilkinus and Hertnit made peace. King Hertnit would retain his kingdom but would pay tribute to king Wilkinus. The Wilkinen army stopped inor was stationed in, or went through Reussland, and king Wilkinus went home.

One time king Wilkinus sailed with his army on the Baltic SeaAustrveg, and one day when his ship was on the beach in ReusslandNot Russia he went into a forest all alone, without any of his men. And he found a woman in the forest, and she pleased him and he lay with her. This was what one calls a mermaid, which in the sea is a monster but on land a woman. Then the king returned to his ship and they set sail.

When they had come some distance from the land, a woman appeared and she took hold of the ship’s stern so fast that the ship stood still. The king recognised her and told her: Let us continue on our way, and if you have anything to tell us, then come to my country and I will welcome you warmly. Then she released the ship and went back into the sea, and the king went to his kingdom.

Half a year later a woman came to him and told him she was pregnant from him. And he took her in, and after a short while she gave birth to a son who was called Wade. She no longer wanted to stay and left, and no one knows what became of herSee, however, 439..

When the boy grew up he became so large that he was a giant, and took after his mother so that he wasn’t like other human children. He was unpleasant to be with, and his father liked him little and only gave him twelve farms in Seeland before he died.

King Wilkinus had another son called Nordian, a great hero, but he was greedy and forgetful of those who used to be his friends, and was therefore less praised than his father.

Then king Wilkinus became ill, and before he died he gave his kingdom to his son Nordian. When king Hertnit heard this he swore he would never pay tribute to the Wilkinen any more, and he called upon all his men to arm themselves to wreak vengeance on the Wilkinamen because the death of Wilkinus voided the oaths they had sworn.

Shortly after king Hertnit rode north to Wilkinenland, and he plundered and burned until he found king Nordian’s army. Then they fought battle, but more Wilkinen fell, and Nordian had a smaller army since many of his men staid home and did not give him help, and he left his treasure home and did not spend it on his chieftains and knightsThis last clause is only in Von der Hagen. Thus Nordian had to flee, and Hertnit pursued the army for three days.

Now king Nordian had only two choices: he could either flee from his realm or give himself up. He decided to put himself at the mercy of king Hertnit, and he went to him and threw himself down at his feet and begged for mercy for himself and his kingdom.

And Hertnit said: The great king Wilkinus fought many battles with us, and he got our realm in his power, just as we now got your realm in our power. And we got peace from him, and therefore you will now get peace from us. But your entire realm will belong to us and pay us tribute, and you shall swear an oath to keep to this truce.

Thus peace was concluded between kings Hertnit and Nordian. Hertnit was now lord of Wilkinenland, and before he went home he set Nordian as his chieftain over this land that we now call Seeland.

And this is how king Hertnit’s realm remained for a long time. With his wife he had two sons, Osantrix and Waldemar, and he had a third son, Ilias, with a concubineLater 314 also mentions a son Iron.

When king Hertnit had become old and infirm he placed his son Osantrix over Wilkinaland and gave him the king’s name. And his son Ilias he set over Greken as a jarl, and Ilias was a powerful prince and a mighty hero. Then Hertnit became ill, and he called the greatest and wisest of his realm to his bed, and gave his son Waldemar the king’s name and set him over Reussland and Púlínaland, so that he ruled over the entire east of the world. Then king Hertnit died, and his sons ruled long after him.

In this time two young men came to king Osantrix, they were the sons of jarl Ilias von Greken, and thus Osantrix' brother-sons. They were Hertnit and Osid. Hertnit was eleven winters old and Osid tenIn other words: they are not fully grown yet. King Osantrix made Hertnit a jarl and set him over his knights, and thus Hertnit became one of the great men of Wilkinenland and received large fiefs.

When king Osantrix found out Melias had had his messengers thrown in the dungeon he called together his chiefs and knights and complained about it, and wanted to wage war against him and take his daughter.

A wise man advised him to try messengers of a much higher station, and Osantrix accepted this advice. Thus he told his nephew Hertnit to go to Hunnenland and ask for king Melias' daughter, first with words and gifts, and if those fail with a threat of war. And Osantrix gave him a letter that told Melias that Hertnit had come to take the knights in the dungeon as well as his daughter. And if Melias didn’t cooperate he could lose his life as well as his lands.

Jarl Hertnit, and his brother Osid with him, rode south to Hunnenland, and when he was admitted to king Melias he gave a speech about his mission, but the king listened gloomily. Jarl Hertnit gave him a purple cloth, and two golden drinking cups, and a silken tent bordered with gold as gifts, but king Melias replied he would not sell his daughter for these gifts, only a concubine.

Now jarl Hertnit showed Osantrix' letter — and Melias read the letter himselfClause not in Von der Hagen — and Melias became angry and had Hertnit and Osid thrown in the dungeon.

When Widolf with the Staff heard this he became so angry he wanted to kill the king, but the other giants held him. He stomped on the ground so that both feet disappeared up to the ankles and said: Lord, why are you at king Melias’ feet? You are much nobler than he, let’s destroy his castle and plunder his country, and take his daughter as your servant.

When Thidrek heard this he had Aspilian told to bind Widolf to the city wall, and they did so with strong iron fetters. Then Thidrek fell to his knees for a third time and again asked to be taken in as Melias’ follower, since Osantrix, when he caught him, would surely hang him.

Melias said he should get up and leave in peace, because they did not want a foreign army in their town. And if they didn’t leave Melias would call up his men and fight. King Aspilian heard these words and became angry that his lord wad threated thus, and went into the hall and hit Melias’ ear so that he fell unconscious. Now king OsantrixNo more Thidrek also jumped up and drew his sword, and the Wilkinenmen with him did the same.

And when Widolf noticed his brother Aspilian had become angry he broke apart all fetters and took his iron staff. He went into the hall and killed men and women, people and cattle, and called out: Where are you, jarl Hertnit? Be happy because I’m here to free you. Jarl Hertnit and the other prisoners started to stir in their dungeon, and one knight, Hermann, was so strong that he managed to to break open the door, and they joined the other Wilkinenmen, who killed a great number of men, but king Melias escaped.

• I think the saga is trying to hide the fact that Attila lost the battle. Hertnit showing up, taking Witig, then taking fright and fleeing does not make sense.

Now Hernit, Osantrix' brother's son, arrived with his army, and they saw Witig laying there, and they took him with them. But then Hertnit saw that the battle was lost, since his uncle Osantrix had already fled, and also fled, like all the others. Thus the Wilkinen lost, and they separatedWho? Osantrix and Hertnit, or Osantrix and Attila?, but Osantrix threw Witig in his prison.

They now left the city of Soest, and when they were alone Wildeber showed the bear skin and asked Isung whether they could do anything with it. Isung inspected it and said that it might come in useful. He told Wildeber to wear the skin over his armor, and took needle and thread and sowed the skin as tightly as he could around Wildeber's back and feet, and so skilled was he that it would seem to everyone Wildeber was a bear. Now Isung put a collar around his neck and lead him, and so they traveled day after day until they reached Wilkinenland.

Close to king Osantrix' castle they encountered a man, who told them king Osantrix was in his castle but had few men with him, because he had recently conducted an expedition, as you may have heard, and most of his knights have returned to their houses, if they have one, because it is costly to live in a merchant cityInteresting but unclear. Apparently there was a town around Osantrix' castle..

Isung asked how the king felt about the victoryYou see? 136 was lying. he had won in the campaign. The man replied that the king had little to say about it, but others say he lost more than he won. except that he captured one of Dietrich von Bern's heroes, and even him he would not have captured if Hertnit hadn't been there.

Then Isung asked if Hertnit was still with Osantrix, and which hero they had captured and if he was still alive. The man replied Hernit was not there, and that the hero was Witig, and was currently in a dark prison in heavy chains, and the man believed Witig was suffering much and waiting for his final day.

Eckehart stood outside and saw how Sigfrid came back. And he want to his master and said: Sigfrid comes home, and he has the dragon's head in his hand. He must have killed it. Now everyone should save himself, because even though there's twelve of us, and even if there were half again as many, he would still kill all of us. And with that they all ran into the forest and hid.

But Mime went to Sigfrid alone and welcomed him. Sigfrid said: No welcomes! You will gnaw on this head like a dog. And Mime said: Don't do that. I will make up for what I did to you. I'll give you the helmet and armour that I made for king Hertnit in Holmgard, and I will give you a stallion called Grani, who is in Brunhild's herd, and also a sword named Gram, it is the best of all swords.

And Sigfrid said: I agree, if you do as you promise. And Mime gave him amrour and helmet and shield, and finally the sword, and when Sigfrid took the sword he swung it as powerfully as he could and gave Mime the death blow.

When king Osantrix heard king Attila had arrived he rode outof the town? to meet him. He asked king Attila if he was ready for battle, and spurred on his men to fight bravely. And king Dietrich replied that Osantrix would find out quickly that Attila was ready for battle. And he told his men: They will have death, but we will have victory! Now let's help king Attila.

Now Hildebrand rode forth with king Dietrich's banner, and he slew Wilkimen one after the other. And behind him rode ming Dietrich, and also his relative Wolfhart, and the AmelungenDietrich's men fought the Wilkinen wherever they met. And Hildebrand carried Dietrich's banner straight through the Wilkinen army, and then went back via another route, and they killed Wilkinen one after the other all day.

King Osantrix saw that, and he rode at the front of his army against the Huns. Now Wolfhart attacked him, and they fought a hard battle that ended with king Osantrix' fall. And when the king had fallen the Wilkinen fled, and the Huns pursued them. Thus king Attila won this battle.

Now king Attila rode home, having freed his realm from the Wilkinen. But the Wilkinen took Hertnit, Osantrix' son, as their king.

• This chapter is missing in manuscript A.

King Hertnit was a poweful man in Wilkinenland, and he was married to Ostacia, the duaghter of Rune, king of Ostenreich. Her stepmother was so magically adept that she had taught Ostacia her magical arts in her youth, so that now Ostacia was just as her stepmother had been. Ostacia was the most beautiful and most wise of all women, but also very evil. King Hertnit loved her very much.

In these days king Isung ruled Bertangaland, and with him is sons. He was a great enemy of king Hertnit and had often helped king Attila in war. King Hertnit wanted to take revenge for the death of his father's brother, king Osantrix, first on king Attila and king Dietrich, but also on king Isung, who was the third one to be guilty of Osantrix' deathThis is not attested anywhere else.

King Hertnit gathered a great army, went to Bertangaland into Isung's realm and killed a lot of people and took a lot of goods. King Isung and his sons sat in Bertangaburg and were not yet aware what king Hertnit was up to. And when king Hertnit had gathered great booty and had gone as far into Bertangaland as he wanted, he returned home again, and he had not lost even a single man.

Now king Isung and his sons heard what king Hertnit had done. They gathered a great army and went after Hertnit. Also he sent a message to his good friends Detlef the Dane and Fasold the Proud.

They happily gathered their men and went to king Isung. Together they invaded Wilkinenland, and destroyed many farms and killed many men. Everyone fled before them, and nobody dared to take the spear against them. Everyone fled to the forest, the ships, and onto the uninhabited heath.

Some fled to king Hertnit and told him what was going on, and that Isung, Detlef and Fasold had come with 5000 men. King Hertnit became angry at this message, and sent out messengers to gather all his men. But to everyone it seemed undoable to fight against such powerful heroes as those that had now come to Wilkinenland.

Thus king Hertnit gathered a great army. And his wife Ostacia went out and moved her handhrærði sinn gand, which is what weThe audience of the saga, 13th century Norwegians would call casting a spellfæri at seiða, as in the past women who knew magic that we call völur would do. She did so much witchcraft and sorceryfjölkynngi ok trollskap that she summoned all kinds of animals, lions and bears and flying dragons, and tamed them all until they obeyed her and she set them against her enemies. And it is said in German songs that her army was like the EnemySatan, I presume himself. And she herself took the form of a flying dragon.

Now king Hertnit moved his army against king Isung, and when they found one another a severe battle erupted. King Isung and his sons went forward and killed many men, and the army fell for them wherever they came. Elsewhere Detlef the Dane with his men rode forth and also gave many men death, and the Wilkinenmen could not hold before him. And the third army led by Fasold the Proud also fought with great courage this day. The Wilkinenmen fell in this battle as grain being scythed.

At this moment Ostacia arrived with her following that she had summoned by sorcery. The dragons flew over the army and killed many men with their claws and mouths, and the lions bit and tore, and so did the bears. And Ostacia herself flew over the army as a dragon, and forced all animals and dragons to fight.

Now king Isung and his sons saw how much damage this army did to them, he spurred on his horse and held his spear fast. This spear was long and thick, and it was one part of an ash that was split into three. He now saw the biggest dragon fly, and threw his spear at it. The dragon saw it coming and evaded it so that it flew over it, and the dragon descended on the king, damaged him with claws and mouth and swallowed him.

The oldest son, who was the strongest of them all, saw this and hit the dragon with his spear through its leg and body. The dragon turned to him, took him so tightly in its claws that they went through his armour into his body and he died, but before he had killed a lion and a bear.

In the same way Lorentin, the youngest son, had killed a lion, and had been wounded, and wounded a dragon to the death, but this dragon gave him the killing blow with its claws.

The battle went on until almost all dragons and bears lost their lives by the great blows of Isung's sons, but also king Isung and all his sons were killed by the animals and dragons, and no one but Ostacia's sorceries gave them this death.

Fasold the Proud had his banner carried forth into the army of Wilkiners against king Hertnit, and a sharp battle ensued. Fasolf killed many men, but became tired, and then king Hertnit rode against him and stabbed his spear through Fasold's chest, and Fasold fell dead from his horse.

Detlef the Dane, battling fiercely, saw that happen, and wanted to take revenge for his dear friend Fasold. He stabbed his spear through Hertnit's shield so that it and the twofold armor were breached, and the spear went under the arm and to the shoulder blade, and the king fell from his horse. Then Detlef killed many more men, but the most evil of the dragons flew over Detlef and wanted to kill him. Detlef stabbed his spear through the dragon's mouth so that it exited from its neck, but the dragon took him in its claws and batted him with its wings and fell all over him, and so Detlef was killed.

When all heroes from Bertangaland had fallen the Wilkiners did not stop until each of the Bertangers was killed.

The Wilkiners found their king Hernit gravely wounded and took jim, and the best doctors in Wilkinenland healed him. But when king Hertnit came home to his castle he found his wife Ostacia ill, and then Hertnit understood where the aid of dragons and animals had come from, and that his wife was a sorcerer, and three days later she died with little fame.

But king Hertnit healed and ruled his realm Wilkinenland as one hears in his sagaThis saga is otherwise unknown, and did many heroic deeds, as is told in his great saga, although no more mention will be made in this saga.