Waltharius1089

Hagen changes his mind and agrees to help Gunther, but advises that they must lie low wait until Walther comes down from the mountains into open ground (1089–1129)

Cunctabatur adhuc Haganon et pectore sponsam		Sponsam Walthario…fidem: i.e., from their youth together at Attila’s court.			SDDSDS
Walthario plerumque fidem volvebat et ipsum	1090		Aeneid 1.9: tot volvere casus. . . ‘To traverse so many perils. . .’		DSDSDS
Eventum gestae recolebat in ordine causae.					SSDDDS
Supplicius tamen infelix rex institit illi.			Aeneid 12.47: sic institit. ‘He thus began.’		DDSSDS
Cuius subnixe rogitantis acumine motus		Subnixe equiv. to enixe			SSDDDS
Erubuit domini vultum, replicabat honorem			Liber Regum IV 3.14: si non vultum Iosaphat regis Iudae erubescerem. . . ‘If I did not reverence the face of Josaphat king of Juda. . .’		DDSDDS
Virtutis propriae, qui fors vilesceret inde,	1095				SDSSDS
Si quocumque modo in rebus sibi parceret istis.					SDSDDS Elision: modo in
Erupit tandem et clara sic voce respondit:					SSSSDS Elision: tandem et
Quo me, domne, vocas? quo te sequar, inclite princeps?			Aeineid 9.94: o genetrix, quo fata vocas? ‘Mother, where are you summoning fate?’ 6.562: dux inclute Teucrum. . . ‘Famed chieftain of the Teucrians. . .’		SDSDDS
Quae nequeunt fieri, spondet fiducia cordi.					DDSSDS
Quis tam desipiens quandoque fuisse probatur,	1100	Quandoque equiv. to umquam			SDSDDS
Qui saltu baratrum sponte attemptarit apertum?					SDSSDS Elision: sponte attemptarit
Nam scio Waltharium per campos sic fore acerbum,					DDSSDS Elision: fore acerbum
Ut tali castro nec non statione locatus			Aeneid 12.297: tali. . .statione. . . ‘In such an anchorage. . .’ Prudentius, Psychomachia 729: sensibus in tuta valli statione locatis. ‘With their sentiments located in a safe position in the valley.’		SSSDDS
Ingentem cuneum velut unum temnat homullum.					SDDSDS
Et licet huc cunctos equites simul atque pedestres	1105				DSDDDS
Francia misisset, sic his ceu fecerat istis.					DSSSDS
Sed quia conspicio te plus doluisse pudore					DDSDDS
Quam caedis damno nec sic discedere velle,					SSSSDS
Compatior propriusque dolor succumbit honori		Proprius equiv. to meus			DDDSDS
Regis: et ecce viam conor reperire salutis,	1110		Aeineid 6.96: via prima salutis. . . ‘The road to safety. . .’		DDSDDS
Quae tamen aut nusquam ostendit se sive coacte.		Coacte equiv. to brevi, mox			DSSSDS Elision: nusquam ostendit
Nam propter carum (fateor tibi, domne) nepotem					SSDDDS
Promissam fidei normam corrumpere nollem.			Statius, Thebaid 6.935-936.: peritque/ venturi promissa fides. ‘The proof foreshown is wasted.’		SDSSDS
Ecce in non dubium pro te, rex, ibo periclum.					SDSSDS Elision: ecce in
Ast hic me penitus conflictu cedere noris.	1115	Hic: i.e., Waltharius’s current position Penitus equiv. to omnino			SDSSDS
Secedamus eique locum praestemus eundi					SDDSDS
Et positi in speculis tondamus prata caballis,		Tondamus prata caballis equiv. to tondeant prata caballi	Aeneid 3.537-538.: equos in gramine vidi,/ tondentis campum late. ‘Four steeds I saw on the turf, grazing at large over the plain.’ Georgics 1.289-290.: prata/ tondentur. ‘They crop the meadows.’		DDSSDS Elision: positi in
Donec iam castrum securus deserat artum,					SSSSDS
Nos abiisse ratus. campos ubi calcet apertos,			Aeneid 2.25: nos abiisse rati. ‘We thought they had gone.’ 9.25: campis exercitus ibat apertis. ‘The army was advacing on the open plain.’ 11.493: campoque potitus aperto. . . ‘Lord of the open plain. . .’ 12.353: campo Turnus prospexit aperto. ‘Turnus saw him on the open plain.’		DDSDDS
Insurgamus et attonitum post terga sequamur:	1120				SDDSDS
Sic aliquod virtutis opus temptare valemus.			Prudentius, Psychomachia 566; 769: virtutis opus. . . ‘A work of virtue. . .’		DSDSDS
Haec mihi in ambiguis spes est certissima rebus.					DDSSDS Elision: mihi in
Tum pugnare potes, belli si, rex, tibi mens est:			Aeineid 8.400: si bellare paras atque haec tibi mens est. ‘If war is your purpose and this is your intent. . .’ Statius, Thebaid 10.432: quae timidis belli mens, ede, Pelasgis. ‘Tell us, what plan of war have the scared Pelasgians?’		SDSSDS
Quippe fugam nobis numquam dabit ille duobus,					DSSDDS
At nos aut fugere aut acrum bellare necesse est.'	1125	Acrum equiv. to acre equiv. to acriter			SDSSDS Elision: fugere aut; necesse est
Laudat consilium satrapa et complectitur illum					SDDSDS Elision: satrapa et
Oscilloque virum demulcet; et ecce recedunt		Oscillo equiv. to osculo			SDSDDS
Insidiisque locum circumspexere sat aptum			Aeineid 9.237: locum insidiis conspeximus ipsi. ‘Our own eyes have seen a place for an ambush.’		DDSSDS
Demissique ligant animalia gramine laeto.		Demissi: “dismounted”	Georgics 2.525: in gramine laeto. . . ‘On the glad sward. . .’		SDDDDS

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Prologue Introduction: the Huns (1–12) The Huns (13–418) The Franks under Gibich surrender to Attila, giving Hagen as a hostage (13–33) The Burgundians under Hereric surrender to Attila, giving Hildegund as a hostage (34–74) The Aquitainians under Alphere surrender to Attila, giving Walther as a hostage (75–92) Experience of the hostages at Attila’s court (93–115) Death of Gibich, flight of Hagen (116–122) Attila’s queen Ospirin advises her husband to ensure Walther’s loyalty by arranging a marriage (123–141) Walther rejects Attila’s offer of a bride (142–169) Walther leads the army of the Huns to victory in battle (170–214) The Escape (215–418) Walther returns from battle and encounters Hildegund (215–255) Walther reveals to Hildegund his plans for escaping with Attila’s treasure (256–286) Walther hosts a luxurious banquet for Attila’s court; eventually all his intoxicated guests fall asleep (287–323) Flight of Walther and Hildegund from Attila’s court (324–357) The following day, the escape of Walther and Hildegund is discovered by Ospirin (358–379) Attila is infuriated and vows revenge on Walther, but can find no one willing to dare to pursue him, even for a large reward (380–418) The Single Combats (419–1061) Diplomacy (419–639) Flight of Walther and Hildegund to the area of Worms (419–435) Gunther, King of the Franks, learns of Walther’s presence on his territory and, despite Hagen’s warnings, decides to pursue him for his treasure (436–488) Walther makes his camp in a mountainous area and goes to sleep (489–512) Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531) Hildegund sees the Franks approaching and wakes Walther, who calms her fears and prepares for battle; he recognizes Hagen from a distance (532–571) Hagen persuades Gunther to try diplomacy before using force (571–580) Camalo is sent as a messenger to Walther, who offers to make Gunther a gift in return for allowing his passage (581–616) Hagen counsels Gunther to accept the offer, but Gunther rejects this advice, calling him a coward. Insulted, Hagen goes off to a nearby hill (617–639) Combat (640–1061) 1st single combat: Camalo is sent back to Walther, who slays him (640–685) 2nd single combat: Walther slays Kimo/Scaramund, Camalo’s nephew (686–719) Gunther encourages his men (720–724) 3rd single combat: Walther slays Werinhard, a descendant of the Trojan Pandarus (725–753) 4th single combat: Walther slays the Saxon Ekivrid, after an exchange of insults (754–780) 5th single combat: Walther slays Hadawart, after an exchange of insults (781–845) Hagen sees his nephew Patavrid going off to fight Walther and laments the evil wreaked on mankind by greed (846–877) 6th single combat: after trying to dissuade him from fighting, Walther slays Patavrid (878–913) 7th single combat: Walther slays Gerwitus (914–940) Gunther again encourages his men, giving Walther some time to rest (941–961) 8th single combat: Walther is shorn of his hair by Randolf, whom he then slays (962–981) Walther is attacked by Eleuthir/Helmnot, assisted by Trogus, Tanastus, and Gunther; he slays all but Gunther (981–1061) The Final Combat (1062–1452) Gunther tries to persuade Hagen to help him to defeat Waltharius; remembering his wounded honor, Hagen refuses (1062–1088) Hagen changes his mind and agrees to help Gunther, but advises that they must lie low wait until Walther comes down from the mountains into open ground (1089–1129) Walther decides to spend the night in the mountains. He rematches the severed heads with the bodies of his victims, prays for their souls, then sleeps (1130–1187) The following day, Walther and Hildegund set out from the mountains, taking the horses and arms of the defeated warriors (1188–1207) Hildegund perceives Gunther and Hagen approaching to attack; the king addresses Walther (1208–1236) Walther ignores Gunther and pleads with Hagen to remember the bond of their childhood friendship; Hagen counters that Walther has already broken their faith by slaying Patavrid (1237–1279) The fight begins and continues for seven hours; Gunther foolishly tries to retrieve a thrown spear from the ground near Walther and is only saved from death by Hagen’s brave intervention (1280–1345) Walther challenges Hagen; he severs Gunther’s leg, but Hagen again saves the king’s life (1346–1375) Hagen cuts off Walther’s right hand; Walther gouges out one of Hagen’s eyes and, cutting open his cheek, knocks out four teeth (1376–1395) Having wounded each other, the warriors end the battle, drink together, and engage in a friendly exchange of humorous taunt (1396–1442) The warriors return to their respective homes; Walther marries Hildegund and eventually becomes king of the Aquitainians (1443–1452) Epilogue (1453–1456)

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