Rune Poems - House of Dubhros

the Heroic Poems 39
After a formal reconciliation the Franks returned to
Worms and Waltharius at length reached home where, after
his marriage to Hiltgunt and his father's death, he ruled
successfully for thirty years.
2. Waltharius is paraphrased in part in the Italian
Chronicon Novaliciense, II. cc. 7-13 (cf. Bethmann, MGH.
ss. vii. 73-133), where however the story is attached to a
local hero, a champion of the Lombard king Desiderius
(757-774).
3. There are moreover a few strophes extant of a Bavarian-
Austrian epic of the first part of the thirteenth century,
which give a somewhat less sanguinary version of the story.
The exceedingly dilapidated fragment from Graz (cf.
Mullenhoff, ZfdA. XII. 280 ff.)
tells how Walther learned for
the first time from Hagen, who was on the point of departure
from the Hunnish court, that he had been betrothed to
Hiltgund; cf. Heinzel, Die Walthersage, pp. 13 ff. (Wien,
1888).
A somewhat longer fragment, 39 strophes, is preserved
in two MS. leaves from Vienna (cf. Massman, ZfdA. n. 216 ff.).
(a) After leaving Worms Walther and Hiltgund are
escorted home to Langres by Volker and sixty of Gunther's
knights. A messenger is sent ahead to Walther's father
Alker (or Alpker), who, overjoyed at the news, prepares for
their reception.
(6) Hildigunde Brdte describes Hiltgund's life at Langres,
Walther's passionate love and the preparations for the wed
ding, to which even Etzel (Attila) and his wife are invited.
4. There are numerous incidental references in the
Nibelungenlied
(str. 2281,
Nu wer was der dfem schilde vor dem Wasgensteine saz,
Do im von Spdne Walther sd vil der mdge sluoc.
Str. 1694,
Er und von Spdne Walther ;
die wuohsen hie ze man,
Hagen sand ich wider heim: Walther mit Hiltegunte entran)
and other Middle High German sources; cf. Althof, Das
Waltharilied, pp. 180-9.