Summary of the Thidrekssaga

Queen Brunhild stood on the rampart and saw king Gunther and Hagen and Gernot ride back to the castle, and also saw they brought Sigfrid dead. She went to them and said they were the luckiest hunters, and asked them to bring the body to Grimhild. She sleeps in her bed, she said, let her now embrace the dead, he has what he deserves now, and so does Grimhild.

They now went to her room, which was locked, and they broke open the door and carried the body inside, and threw it onto the bed into her arms, and she woke up and saw that Sigfrid was in her bed and was dead.

Then Grimhild said to Sigfrid: Your wounds are evil. How did you receive them? Your shield and helmet are untouched, how were you wounded like that? You must be murdered. If I knew who'd done it I'd avenge it.

Hagen said: He was not murdered. We hunted a wild boar, and that boar gave him the fatal wound. And Grimhild said: That boar, that was you, Hagen, and no one else. And she cried bitterly.

Then they went to the hall and were quite happy, and Brunhild was no less happy. But Grimhild called her people and had Sigfrid's body buried.

And when the tale made the rounds that Sigfrid was dead, everyone said that no man like that was in the world any more, nor would ever be born, so strong and brave, and possessed of such noble virtues, and his name would never be forgotten in the German language, nor in the Norse one.A adds: And shortly thereafter Brunhild died. Therefore she could not appear in 427.

Heime Studa’s son had lived in the forest for a long time and had done damage to Sibich’s lands, burning farms and killing people. In this fashion he lived for thirtyA: twenty years, the time that Dietrich was gone from his realm. And when Heime heard Sibich had been killed he realised how much evil he had done and wanted to repent. Therefore he rode to a monastery with all his weapons on his horse Rispa.

When he arrived Heime told the abbot: I am Ludwig, and I come from Amelungenland. And he took his shield from his shoulders, and took off his sword Nagelring, and his armour, and laid them all at the feet of the abbot. Then he abased himself and said: These weapons and this horse, all my belongings, worth no less than ten gold marks, I wish to give to the monastery, and myself with them.

The abbot felt that this man might be someone else than he said he wasVon der Hagen. Haymes has: "that this man would not be obedient if he were in the monastery", but the money was good, so he took Ludwig by the hand, and brought his to a small room next to the church choir. Here Heime took off his rich clothes and took the black cloak like the other monks. The same day he was consecrated as a monk.

The abbot took all the goods and and made it his own, and Ludwig followed the monastic rule. But if the monks had known he was Heime Studa’s son they would not have taken him in, no matter how many goods he brought. Thus Heime served in the monastery for a while.

The giant Aspilian owned many estates in this Langobardenland. He was as big and strong as beforeThis giant has never been mentioned before and unpleasant to deal with. He had a large treasure because people didn’t dare to refuse him anything he wanted.

The monks owned a rich estate, but Aspilian took possession. The abbot sent monks to the giant, and he said he had more rights to the estate than the monks. The monks replied that the estate had been given to them for God’s sake.

Then Aspilian said: Appoint a man to fight me. When I lose the estate is yours, when I win it’s mine. This is the law of the land: where two men have a conflict over something, they shall fight a duelholmgang. The monks could do nothing because the giant followed the law, but they didn’t know which man would fight such a strong giant.

They informed the abbot, who told all monks and said that they would have to let the estate go if they did not find a suitable man. The monks were displeased and sent men far and wide to find someone who would fight the giant, but found no one.

One day they discussed the matter again, and Ludwig said: Why do you monks complain? What has Aspilian done? And the abbot explained the matter. Then Ludwig said: I gave my treasure and weapons to this monastery for God's sake, and now I will fight this giant. Where are my sword and my armour? The abbot suspected he was some sort of warrior, and said his sword had been made into doorhinges for the monastery, and his armour sold at the market.

And Ludwig said: You monks understand books, but not weapons. If you’d known how good these weapons were you would never have parted with them. Then he jumped up and took the abbot’s hood in both hands and said: You are a fool if you didn’t have other iron but my good sword Nagelring that beheaded many a giant to make your hinges. He shook the hood so hard that the abbot lost four teeth. When the monks heard the name Nagelring they understood that it was Heime Studa’s son and became frightened. They took some keys and opened a chest that contained Nagelring and his armour, and they were well kept.

Heime took Nagelring and saw how beautiful its cutting edge was, and how the gold shone. And he remembered the days that he rode with his companions, and became first red, then pale. Then he asked for his horse Rispa. The abbot said it had pulled stone for the church and was dead for many years.

The monks brought many stallions from the surroundings to the monastery and invited Heime to choose. Heime went to one and hit him in the flanks with his hand, and he fell down. Then he went to a handsome horse and hit his back with his hands, so that his spine shattered. Then he said these horses were worthless and they should give him the best one. The monks brought forward a strong enough horse, but he was very old and skinny. But Heime quickly saw he was Rispa. He took his manes and pulled down with all his might, but the stallion remained upright. Then he pulled his tail, but the horse remained where it was.

Heime laughed and said: You came back, old Rispa, and I know you. As old and skinny as you are, I know no other horse I’d rather have. And he told the monks to care for the stallion as best as they could. And Rispa was brought to the stables, where he stood for six weeks until he was as fat and sleek as usual, and as lively as in his younger years.

The abbot sent word to Aspilian that he would find their man on a certain island. Aspilian armed himself and had an alpandil brought for his mount, which we call an elephantfil The abbot and monks went with Heime and rowed to the island. And there Heime armed himself. The abbot wished him good luck and God’s protection. There he saw Aspilian on his elephant, and he rode towards him, praying for God’s help.

The giantLike in 195-196, the giant is not named during the fight said: Who is this little man? What do you want? Fight me? It would be shameful to kill you. Go home and save yourself. And Heime replied: As small as my legs and body are, I will not flee for you. Then he spurred his horse and and aimed his spear at the giant’s arm pit, but his armour was so good that the blow did not hurt him. Then the giant hurled his own spear at Heime, but Heime ducked and the spear flew over him and went so deep into the earth that no one has found it since.

Heime jumped from his horse and drew his sword. The giant did the same, and struck at Heime with his sword, but Heime ducked and the sword hit the earth. Then Heime quickly cut off the giant’s right hand, above the sword hilt, so that hand and sword fell to the ground. Heime gave the giant another blow in the thigh, and German songs say that he cut off such a big piece that a horse would not be able to carry it. The giant, seeing he was defeated, tried to fall on Heime, which would kill him. Heime saw the danger, but did not want to flee. Thus he moved forward until he stood between the giant’s legs, and when he fell one leg was on one side of Heime and the other on the other, leaving Heime unscathed.

The monks in the ship heard a thump that was so loud that the earth moved. And when they saw the giant had fallen they sang Kyrie Eleison. Then Heime came to the ship and they all sailed away to the monastery. The abbot and the prior took Heime by the hand and brought him to is seat in the choir. Heime kept to the rule like before.