Summary of the Thidrekssaga

Then Hildebrand his best friend agreed, even though it was unseemly, and king Dietrich should prepare himself, because there was no time for more talk.

And when Hildebrand has spoken the women and children began to wail for their men, sons, and brothers, and fathers, while the knights took their arms and horses. And in that night there were loud sounds from calls and horns, and when all had armed themselves they went into the king's hall, sat there for a while, and drank wine.

Then Heime came to Bern, and told them king Ermenrik was now close by and had 5,000 knights with him, while king Dietrich only had 800. And Heime said that they would leave the castle with dishonour, but king Ermenrik would receive more harm than good from them.

Then Hildebrand took king Dietrich's banner, and told all to follow him. And now they, Hildebrand in front, rode to Langobardenland and Mundia, into Ermenrik's realm, and they burned castles, villages, and farms, before they went north over the mountains.

Dietrich rode northwards over the mountains until he came to the castle named Bakalar that stood on the Rhine, and the mighty margrave Rodinger ruled there. And when Rodinger heard Dietrich was coming he rode out with all his men and his wife Gotelinde. Gotelinde gave Dietrich a banner, half green, half red, and a golden lion on it, and also a purple cloak. Margrave Rodinger gave him a horse and good clothes. Then Dietrich rode into the castle.

One day king Gunther called Osid to a conversation, and Hagen and Gernot were with him. Then duke Osid said: King Attila of Soest sends you his greetings, and wants to marry your sister Grimhild, with as many goods as you care to send himHer dowry; does this mean Gunther can set the dowry himself? and he will be your friend, and before I ride from here I'd like to know your reply.

And king Gunther replied: King Attila is a rich man and a great leader, and if Hagen and Gernot agree, I will not deny him this. And Hagen added: I think we should consider it a great honour that the powerful king Attila takes our sister in wedding; he is the richest and most powerful of kings, and we can also become more powerful. But this matter will have to be laid before her herself; her willtemper? skap is so great that neither king Attila nor anyone else in the world can get her without her will. And Gernot also agreed.

Then king Gunther and Osid went to Grimhild, and king Gunther told her the news and asked her what she thought of marrying Attila. She replied that she did not dare to deny king Attila because he was such a mighty king, and the man who brought her the requestOsid was so respectable that she would gladly agree, provided it was also the counsel of king Gunther her brother. And the king replied he would not refuse the marriage, provided she wanted it as well.

King Gunther and his brothers discussed the matter with duke Osid, and it was decided. Then Osid prepared to depart, and when he was ready king Gunther took a gold-plated shield and helm that had belonged to Sigfrid and gave them to OsidThis is a gift to Osid personally, it seems, and not to Attila. In 400 Dietrich wears the helmet., and they separated as good friends. The duke went home to Hunnenland and told king Attila about his journey, and the king thanked him, and said his journey had had the best outcome.

Hagen went on downriver for a while, and saw a ship in the middle of the river, and a man on it, and he asked him to come to land to fetch a man from Elsung. He said this because they were in the realm of jarl Elsung the Youngersee also 399 and he thought the pilot would come to him quicker.

The pilot replied: I don't pick up men of Elsung quicker than any other, and I won't row without wages. Hagen took a golden ring and held it up: See here, good man, your wages. I'll give you this golden ring when you ferry me over.

When the pilot saw this he considered how he had married a short while ago, and he wanted to give his wife the money, so he rowed to the shore. Hagen got on the ship and have the pilot his ring. Now the pilot wanted to row across, but Hagen told him to go upstream, but the pilot refused. Hagen told him to row upstream if he wanted to or not, and the pilot took fright and rowed where Hagen wanted him to go, and now they rowed on until theu came to the Niflungen.

• The longest source attestation in the entire saga. Scholars assume this chapter is generally right: this version of the Niflungensaga indeed came from Germany.

And how these things happened one can hear in sagas of German men that were born in Soest, where these events took place, and they have seen unchanged the places where these things happened, where Hagen fell, and where Irung was killed, and where the snake tower was where king Gunther died. And the garden was called Niflungengarden and still stands in the same way as when the Niflungen were killed, the old gate where the struggle started, and the western gate which is now called Hagen's gate, where the Niflungen broke out of the garden, and today it is called the same as it was then.

Men from Bremen and Münster have told us the same, and none of them knew of the others, but they still told the same story. And it is also according to the old songs in the German language made by wise men of the great deeds that took place in that country.

And Hildebrand also said: Shall we tell king Attila?

And Dietrich replied: We have decided to return, whether king Attila likes it or not, so we should conceal it from him and the other men until we're ready to go. And he added: Lady Herrat should come with us if she wishes; go and tell her.

So master Hildebrand went to Herrat and told her in secret what king Dietrich was planning. And she replied: If king Dietrich leaves Hunnenland I will follow him, but I want to hear it from his mouth.

The Dietrich went to her and said: Lady Herrat, do you want to come home with me to Amelungenland? I want my kingdom back, or death, but I do not longer wish to stay in Hunnenland where I lost many of my dearest friends. Hildebrand my best friend will come with me, and I have left my realm thirty two years agowhich would mean about twelve years, maybe slightly less, elapsed between Gransport and the death of the Niflungen

And Herrat said: I will follow you gladly, and may God give you your realm back. And Dietrich said: Then prepare, for we'll leave Soest this night.

And that night Hildebrand had arranged for three horses for them, and a fourth to carry their gold, silver, and clothes. And they helped Herrat on her horse and packed their load. Then master Hildebrand said: Lord, you should not leave king Attila in dishonour without speaking to him. And Dietrich replied: Then take lady Herrat to the gates, while I visit king Attila.

Then he went to the hall where king Attila slept, and he told his guards that he wanted to visit him. And the guards let him in, because they knew he was a great friend of king Attila. Thus king Dietrich went into the hall where king Attila slept and woke him.

And king Attila welcomed him and asked him what he was doing here with all his weapons. Dietrich asked for a private conversation and Attila agreedApparently a few more people were present in the same hall. Then Dietrich told him he wanted to return home. Attila asked where he was going to find an army. Dietrich replied he was going in secret because he had no more men left. Attila asked him to stay for a while more, and offered him a Hunnish army to conquer his realm. But Dietrich refused with many thanks, because he did not want to waste Attila's warriors again.

Then Attila accompanied him to the gate, and they said goodbye and kissed one another, and Attila wept. But Dietrich jumped on his horse Falkewho's getting a bit long in the tooth and they left.

Master Hildebrand led the way with the pack horse, and Dietrich and Herrat followed him. They took the road to Mundiacf 287, and they rode night and day without meeting anyone, and they did not go into any towns.

Then they came to Bakalar, and Dietrich turned his horse towards the castle and grieved for margrave Rodinger who had taken him in as a guest when he fled from Ermenrik289. And Hildebrand remembered how Rodinger had saved him in the battle against the Reussen308. Then they rode on into the Lurwald84.

Jarl Elsung the Youngerwho was mentioned in 365 had crossed the Rhine with thirty-two warriors and had heard Dietrich was traveling there. He remembered how the old Samson with his sons Ermenrik and Dietmar had killed Elsung the Elder12, and he wanted to avenge his kinsman.

When the sun set Dietrich wanted to press on into the night, and he now led, with Hildebrand, Herrat, and the pack horse following. Hildebrand saw a great dust cloud and light glancing off shields and armour, and they were riding after them. Then Herrat cried that those were the enemy, and that they could not withstand them. Now Dietrich also saw them, and asked Hildebrand who they would be. Hildebrand replied that it might be Elsung who had heard of their travels.

Then Dietrich asked: What shall we do? Ride into the forest to save ourselves, or dismount and get ready for battle? Hildebrand now counted thirty-two men, and proposed to stand and fight, so that the people in Hunnenland would hear how they had killed many and driven off the rest.

Then Dietrich and Hildebrand dismounted, helped Herrat down, and drew their swords.

• Weird chapter. Amelung being confused with Elsung reminds one of 101, but that theme isn't followed up properly. And why essentially tell the same story twice?

But the fleeing men went back over the Rhine to Babilonia, and told everyone that jarl Elsung was dead and sixteen men with him. And when they were asked who did that, they replied it was only two men, and one of them was so amazingly old that he must have been a fiend, and he certainly had the devil himself in his handi.e. his sword; see 408 for another use of the same sentence, and his beard was so long that it covered his breast. And the counselorvague knew this must have been Dietrich and Hildebrand.

Then Amelung came home and twelve men with him, and everybody thought it was jarl Elsung. And the counselor himself stood and congratulated Amelung on returning. And he asked who the two men were that had defeated them, especially the old one with the big beard. Amelung told him they were Dietrich von Bern and Hildebrand, and that they had defended themselves well, and we lost fourteen out of thirty-two.

Dietrich told Hildebrand they would travel over the Mundia mountains397, and before them was a forest. Dietrich and Herrat remained in the forest, but Hildebrand rode on to a castle belonging to old earl Ludwig and his son Konrad. Then Hildebrand spotted a man that lived in the castle, and he asked him who ruled there, and the man told him it was earl Ludwig and his son Konrad. Then Hildebrand asked who ruled Bern. The man told him it was lord Alebrand, son of old Hildebrand.

Hildebrand laughed and asked: How good of a warrior is Alebrand? And what kind of man is he? The man replied that Alebrand was the best of all warriors, and he exceeds all in courtesy and generosity, but he is grim towards his enemies.

Hildebrand said: You're a good man. What more can you tell me? And the man replied that there was important and likely true news: Ermenrik was dead.

And Hildebrand and the man went to the castle, and Hildebrand asked the man to get jarl Konrad. Konrad wanted to know what a foreign man with a broad white beard wanted from him, and came out of the castle alone. Hildebrand asked him who he was, and he replied he was Konrad son of Ludwig, and Konrad asked who Hildebrand was. Hildebrand answered he was Hildebrand master of the WölfingenThis family name is new, it does not occur in 15. And Konrad told him he, too, was a Wölfing, and invited his kinsman into the castle to meet his father.

But Hildebrand said he couldn't come this time, but was there any news? Big news! Konrad replied, king Ermenrik of Rome is dead. And who now wears his crown, Hildebrand asked. Evil news, Konrad replied, it’s that traitor Sibich. But what news do you have? And Hildebrand told him jarl Elsung had been killed and king Dietrich was back in Amelungenland.

God be praised, Konrad replied. Alebrand has already sent messengers north into Hunnenland to tell Dietrich to come back to his realm. And Alebrand does not want to give up his castle to Sibich, nor any other place. The Amelungs prefer to die before allowing Sibich to rule Bern.

And Hildebrand said he had to return to the forest where Dietrich waited. But Konrad asked him to wait, because he wanted to tell his father what had happened.