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 Fritila, 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.

Now king Dietmar ruled over Bern, and he and his wife Odilia had a son named Dietrich. And he was large and strong, but not so long that he was called a giant, and as long as he lived he never grew a beard. And all who had known king Samson said that Dietrich resembled him very much.King Dietmar knighted Dietrich when he was fifteen wintersaccording to B; A says twelve old, and made him a chief over his courtI assume Dietmar's court is meant here, and not that Dietrich got his own court and all his knights and other people.

Now Ermenrik was king in Rome, and all kings and dukes south of the mountains served him, and many other kings in the part of the earth called Europe. Because even the emperor himself ruled only Bolgerland and Griechenland, but king Ermenrik's realm stretched to the sea called Adria.

And one day king Ermenrik sent his counselor Sibich to Sarkastein in order to do the king's work there and dispense justice, and this was a very honourable journey. Sibich's wife, Odilia, stayed home, and when she was alone in her house, king Ermenrik came there alone and covertly, and demanded her favours, as he had wanted for a long time. She did not want him, but didn't dare to oppose his wishes, so he slept with her.

One day Odilia, Sibich's wife, went to the queen, Ermenrik's wife, and they drank and were merry. But then she spoke of Egard and AkeSons of the elder Ake and thus Ermenrik's nephews in Amelungenland, and how Egard wouldn't even spare the queen, and that she should be careful. And the queen became angry, and believed Egard had done her dishonour.

Then king Ermenrik came in, and drank with them. Odilia said: "Now we have west and south wind, and sunshine and warmth, and then light rain and it's clear in the east and north, what else would come but Egard and his brother Ake? No wild animal or forest bird will be safe from them." The king was silent and didn't reply.

Then the queen said: "They give peace to neither animal nor bird, and each time they come here the serving girls won't have peace, either." Still Ermenrik did not reply, though he thought about what the women were saying, and Fritila, Egard's and Ake's foster, was with him.

Then the queen said: "I myself should take care, and they would certainly do me dishonour if it were in their power."

Then the king spoke angrily: "If you are not safe from them, then they should not be safe from me. They'll hang so high no one will hang higher."

Then Fritila said that Egard and Ake would suffer because WitigNow their stepfather and protector has gone to king Dietrich, and that if Witig would come home and find his stepsons hanged war would break out. And the king said they would hang even higher than he had planned. Fritila and his son fled.