Summary of the Thidrekssaga

A king was named Melias and he ruled over Hunnenland and he was the richest, most powerful, and most proud man. He had a daughter named Oda, and she was the most beautiful of women. The greatest kings and dukes had already asked for her hand, but her father the king loved her so much he didn’t want to give her to any man.

King Osantrix was now a widower, and he heard about king Melias and Oda. He sent twelve knights with a letter that asked for the hand of his daughter, and rich estates, gold and silver with her, or he would invade Hunnenland.

• Von der Hagen's version is about twice as long as Haymes/Jónsson's. It adds a lot of stuff about the citizens of Melias' capital, who are more willing to welcome Thidrek than Melias himself. My summary follows Haymes/Jónsson.
• I would ignore most of this if it didn’t concern the citizens (chieftains?) getting a role in the story, which reminds one of 6-9.

Now king Osantrix came into Hunnenland with his army, but he told his men to call him ThidrekVon der Hagen gives "Fridrich (Mb)" as variant, and Ritter uses that name throughout his redaction of this part, and they rode peacefully, and did not harm anyone and bought what they needed in market places. They went to king MeliasVon der Hagen adds: in his capital of Walterburg and asked to meet the kingFollowing Haymes/Jónsson. Von der Hagen adds a considerable amount of text having to do with how Melias and the citizens of the town reacted, with the citizens allowing Thidrek into the town because they didn't see any disadvantage, but Melias was unhappy with the army. Also, before entering Melias' hall Thidrek tells Etger and Aventrod to keep hold of Widolf..

Brought before Melias Thidrek tells him he was a duke in Wilkinenland but incurred the displeasure of Osantrix, and that he now wants to offer himself and all his men to king Melias. And Thidrek fell to his knees. Melias asked why Thidrek hadn't made peace with his king, since Thidrek was a powerful man in his realm. And, Melias added, you're supposed to serve him. Return to your realm and reconcile yourself with your king. The king said this because he wasn’t sure who this man was.

Thidrek fell down on the floor before Melias' feet and put himself into his power and begged him to accept him. But Melias saidIn Von der Hagen Melias is first unhappy with the large army, and Thidreks says he brought it into town with the permission of the citizens.: You have brought a large army into this country, and if you now become my man it might be you don’t serve me well and we would become enemies and I would have to destroy your army before you destroy usVon der Hagen has: if we were to disagree and fall out, you’d have brought such a large force into town that you would not submit to us, and therefore I cannot trust you..

Then princess Oda spoke: Why don’t you want to give me to the king who is so powerful that he can exile this chieftain from his lands? This man could win all of your country with his sword if you were to battle.

But still the king refused to accept Thidrek, who lay before his feet.

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.

The men took Oda and all portable wealth to their chieftainOsantrix, but Oda doesn’t know that yet. And he said to her: Although your father did not want to give you to king Osantrix, I will take you with me to my lord, and gain peace and his friendship. And she said he could do whatever he pleased, since she was in his power.

Then the chieftain took a shoe made of polishedor pure silver, took the princess on his knee, and placed the shoe on her foot, and it seemed to be neither too large, nor too small, but made for her. Then he took off the shoe and placed another shoe, made from red gold, on the same foot, and he wanted to see which one looked better on her, and this one was better by half than the other.

Then the princess stroked her leg and said, looking upward to the sky: God in Heaven, give me the day that I may stroke my legVon der Hagen: decorate my foot on king Ostantrix’ throne. The king laughed and said that that day was today. Thus she became aware that king Osantrix himself had come to her, and she received him happily.

King Osantrix went home and took the princess with her. Soon after he sent messengers to king Melias to arrange a reconciliation. King Melias had given his daughter half his kingdom and the men withinVon der Hagen: given his daughtern and the man that would receive (maary) her half his kingdom. And although king Osantrix wanted to marry Oda, he did not want to decrease his father in law’s domains, but leave him the lordship over it all as long as he lived. Only after Melias' death he wanted to take the entire realm of Oda, his wife. And in this way the kings reached a reconciliation.

Now king Osantrix had a wonderful wedding prepared, and ruled his realm peacefully, like king Melias did in Hunnenland. King Osantrix and his wife had a daughter Erka, and she was the most beuatiful and courteous of all girls.

In Denmark in Skåne in the place called Tummelborg there lived a man named Biterolf. His wife was Oda, and she was the daughter of the jarl of Sachsenland, and they had a son named Detlef.

Detlef preferred to be in the kitchen instead of riding with his father, and therefore his father and mother didn't really like him, and believed he was a fool and a changeling. Still, he had learned to ride a horse, throw spears, swing swords, and throw stones. Everybody assumed he was not really interested in that, though, and he never combed his hair and never bathed either in the bathhouse or a pool, and preferred to lie in the ashes in the kitchen and run around with the kitchen boys.

Then Detlef took his father's best horse, with saddle and tack, and rode to a farmer nearby, whose weapons he borrowed. Then he went home again.

This took place in the middle of winter, and the entire Sont was frozen until deep in the south at Jutland, so that one could use sleds to go from one village to another.It is unclear why this passage was included; the frozen Sont is not mentioned again. Or is this a chronological note, 'the year the Sont was frozen solid'? If so it's nearly the only one.

When Detlef came home his father saw he would come anyway, he decided to see what would happen if Detlef came to other people, and he also didn't want him to look ridiculous, and gave his men orders to arm Detlef properly. His father gave him good weapons, and his mother good clothers, and he bathed and combed his hair, and now all people who saw him said that they had never seen such a good youth. Then he went to the feast with his father and mother.

And while they staid at the feast Detlef behaved well, And when the feast was over Oda and the men returned home, but Biterolf set out for another feast, and Detlef with him, and staid there for a while more.

And when they returned home the Falsterwald was on their road, and the road went straight through it.

• Oda is Gunther's and Giselher's mother. So Hagen, Gernot, and Grimhild apparently have a different mother?
• The Niflungen are birds because their coat of arms is an eagle.

Then queen Oda, Gunther's and Giselher's mother, went to the king and said to him: Lord, I dreamed that I saw so many dead birds in Hunnenland that all the land was empty of birds. Now I hear that you want the Niflungen to go to Hunnenland, but great misfortune will befall both the Niflungen and the Hunnen if you do so. So do not go there; only evil will come of it, when you go.

Hagen replied: King Gunther had decided on this journey, and we don't care for dreams of an old woman. And Oda replied: King Gunther may do as he likes, and so may you, Hagen, but my young son Giselher should stay home. No, said Giselher, when my brothers go I will not stay behid. And he jumped up and took his weapons.

Now king Dietrich von Bern had lost many warriors. King Dietrich and master Hildebrand conferred, and the king said: It has always been my greatest regret that I have been away from my realm for so long, and now I lost all my heroes and friends, and my honour. See, master Hildebrand, how many of our friends are dead: good margrave Rodinger, and king Gunther of Niflungenland was killed, and HagenMs B adds: and their brothers, who have been our greatest friends. What are we doing here in Hunnenland? Why should we grow old here? And God knows I'd prefer to die for my realm of Amelungenland and my good city of Bern than grow old and lose my honour here in Hunnenland. We have served king Attila for too long.

Master Hildebrand replied: My lord, we've been away from our realm for a long time, and lost much, first of all by Sibich's treason, and we will fight against superior numbers in king Ermenrik's realm. But still I agree with you: it's better to die in Amelungenland than to grow old dishonourably in Hunnenland.

King Dietrich said: Master Hildebrand, what have you heard about my town of Bern. Who rules there now?

And master Hildebrand said: My lord, I do not know, but I have heard something about it, that there would be a duke there named Alebrand, and he is supposed to be my son. And it is said he is a great warrior. It could be that my wife Oda was pregnant when I left Bern, and that he was born afterwards.

King Dietrich replied: If your son were duke of Bern it would be a stroke of luck. He would receive us well if he is as loyal to us as you have been.

And Hildebrand said: Lord, how will we arrange this trip?

And the king said: We cannot come to Amelungenland with an army. Since Hunnenland has too few men left king Attila will not send his leaders with us to win back our realm. I want to go to Amelungenland in secret, and it would be good if there were no more men than the two of us, and I will swear I will not leave Amelungenland again with dishonour, but die there or win my kingdom back.

Master Hildebrand said: If the two of us go alone, lord, this journey will only have little honourApparently honour requires a large army?, but it's better to travel like this than not to go to Amelungenland at all.