Originally published in 1996, this book is a study of two of the central themes of medieval German mythology, the Dietrich and Nibelung legends. It traces its two legendary topics form their historical roots during the last centuries of the Roman Empire to the medieval texts that make them known to us. Many of the medieval texts have never been translated into English or even modern German. A synopsis of each work is therefore included so that the reader can form an idea of the content of the works in question. The book takes a text-oriented approach. The book includes a chronological chart which puts most of the texts and literary works discussed in a European and world context.
Author(s): Edward R. Haymes, Susann T. Samples
Series: Routledge Library Editions: German Literature, 18
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 194
Preface
A Note on Languages and Alphabets
Chronological Chart
Abbreviations
PART ONE: BACKGROUND
The Germanic Legends
The Medieval Literary Versions
The Hero, Heroic Poetry, and the Heroic Age
The Germanic Peoples and Their Heroic Tradition
Germanic Among the European Language Families
The Germanic Peoples
The Heroic Legends
Formation and Transmission of Heroic Legend
The First Stage: Eyewitness Reports
The Second Stage: Oral Epic Poetry
The Third Stage: Medieval Literature
Historical Background
The Roman Empire in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Centuries
Ermanaric
The Burgundians on the Rhine
Attila
Theoderic the Great
Brünhild
Historical Sources
Primary Historical Sources
Lex Burgundionum
Jordanes
Gregory the Great
Gregory of Tours
Gesta Theoderici
Medieval Chronicles
Quedlinburg Annals
Frutolf von Michelsberg
Kaiserchronik
Other High Medieval Historical Sources
Oral Transmission
Epic Theory from the Nineteenth Century
Oral Poetry
Germanic Oral Narrative Poetry
The Common Form
The Development of the Middle High German Form
The Special Case of Old Norse
The Oral Transmission of Germanic Heroic Legend
PART TWO: LITERARY WORKS
Literary Works
Table of Motifs
Traces in Early Literature
Deor and WidsiÞ
Wulf and Eadwacer
Beowulf
Walther and Hildegund
Waltharius
Waldere
Walther und Hildegunt
Valtari (in the Þiðrekssaga)
Wayland (Wieland, Velent) the Smith
Völundarkviða
Velent's Story (from the Þiðrekssaga)
The Dietrich Legend
Þidrekssaga of Bern (The Saga of Þiðrek of Bern)
Hildebrandslied, Older and Younger
Das Buck von Bern (Dietrichs Flucht)
Rabenschlacht
Alpharts Tod
The poems in Bernerton
Virginal
Eckenliet
Ekka (in the Þiðrekssaga)
Sigenot
Goldetmar
Biterolf und Dietleip
Laurin
Walberan
Dietrich und Wezelan
Der Wundenr
Ermenrikes Dôt
Heldenbuch Prose
The Nibelung Legend
Nibelungenlied
Diu Klage
Sigurð's Youth and Murder in the Þiðrekssaga
Völsungasaga
Nornagests Þáttr
Niflunga saga in the Þiðrekssaga
Poetic Edda
Helgi Hundingsbani
Sigurð and Brynhild
Guðrún
Oddrun
Atli
Hamðismál
Snorra Edda
Rosengarten zu Worms
Das Lied vom Hürnen Seyfrid
Related Legends
Wolfdietrich-Ortnit
Ortnit
Wolfdietrich D(B)
Wolfdietrich A
Wolfdietrich C
Kudrun
Rother
Glossary of Names
Index
