Difference between revisions of "Waltharius513"

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(→‎Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531))
(→‎Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531))
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| {{Comment|The Waltharius-poet uses a Virgilian formula here, which may be significant in the effort to place the poem's religious loyalties. Though little is known specifically of continental Germanic paganism, it is generally assumed to bear some similarity to Scandinavian cults, since related tribes colonized the areas during the period of migration following the Fall of Rome. According to what is known of Scandinavian beliefs, a warrior who fell in battle might hope that his soul would fly to Valhalla, a feasting hall in the realm of the gods, where great warriors awaited the final battle, Ragnarok, at the end of the world. Those who died of sickness or accident traveled instead to Hel, in an underworld which resembles Roman Tartarus or Christian Hell much more closely than Valhalla. A warrior who died in battle with Walther, according to such a belief system, was much more fortunate than one who died safe in his bed. There is little trace of such an ethos in Hagan's warning, however; he treats death as a fate to be avoided. In this sense, Gunther's mockery of Hagan's caution perhaps is justified in terms of Germanic religion; that Gunther's world-view is clearly denigrated, however, suggests that the Waltharius-poet wishes to associate all death with the darkness of Hel, stripping it of any (pagan) glory. For a further discussion of Germanic religion, see Rudolf Simek's chapter in [[Early Germanic Literature and Culture]], ed. Brian Murdoch and Malcolm Read (2004).}}
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| {{Comment|The Waltharius-poet uses a Virgilian formula here, which may be significant in the effort to place the poem's religious loyalties. Though little is known specifically of continental Germanic paganism, it is generally assumed to bear some similarity to Scandinavian cults, since related tribes colonized the areas during the period of migration following the Fall of Rome. According to what is known of Scandinavian beliefs, a warrior who fell in battle might hope that his soul would fly to Valhalla, a feasting hall in the realm of the gods, where great warriors awaited the final battle, Ragnarok, at the end of the world. Those who died of sickness or accident traveled instead to Hel, in an underworld which resembles Roman Tartarus or Christian Hell much more closely than Valhalla. A warrior who died in battle with Walther, according to such a belief system, was much more fortunate than one who died safe in his bed. There is little trace of such an ethos in Hagan's warning, however; he treats death as a fate to be avoided. In this sense, Gunther's mockery of Hagan's caution perhaps is justified in terms of Germanic religion; that Gunther's world-view is clearly denigrated, however, suggests that the Waltharius-poet wishes to associate all death with the darkness of Hel, stripping it of any (pagan) glory. For a further discussion of Germanic religion, see Rudolf Simek's chapter in ''Early Germanic Literature and Culture,''ed. Brian Murdoch and Malcolm Read (2004).}}
 
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|[[O]] [[rex1|rex]] [[et]] [[comites1|comites]], [[experto]] [[credite]], [[quantus]]
 
|[[O]] [[rex1|rex]] [[et]] [[comites1|comites]], [[experto]] [[credite]], [[quantus]]

Revision as of 20:20, 10 December 2009

Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531)

Ast ubi Guntharius vestigia pulvere vidit,  Georgics 3.171: summo vestigia pulvere signent. ‘Let them print their tracks on the surface of the dust.’ Statius, Thebaid 6.640: raraque non fracto vestigia pulvere pendent. ‘The rare footsteps hover and leave the dust unbroken.’

 

 DDSDDS 
Cornipedem rapidum saevis calcaribus urget,  Prudentius, Psychomachia 253-254.: talia vociferans rapidum calcaribus urget/ cornipedem. ‘Thus exclaiming she spurs on her swift charger and flies wildling along with loose rein.’ Statius, Thebaid 11.452-453.: saevis calcaribus urgent/ immeritos. ‘With savage goads they incite their innocent teams.’

 

 DDSSDS   Cornipedem: horse (literally, horn-foot). The hoof was considered to be made of horn similar to the material of an antler. Cato (TK) and Virgil (Georgics 3.88) both use the word of hooves; interestingly, in was also applied to birds' beaks, warts, and even, according to Pliny, skin over the eye. MCD 
Exultansque animis frustra sic fatur ad auras: 515  Aeineid 2.386: exultans animisque. . . ‘Flushed with courage. . .’ 11.491: exsultateque animis. ‘He exults in courage.’ 11.556: ita ad aethera fatur. ‘He cries thus to the heavens.’

 

 SDSSDS
Elision: exultansque animis 
Accelerate, viri, iam nunc capietis euntem,  DDSDDS 
Numquam hodie effugiet, furata talenta relinquet.'  Furata: passive in sense, though from a deponent.

 

 Eclogue 3.49: numquam hodie effugies. ‘This time you won’t get away!’

 

 DDSDDS
Elision: H-ELISION: numquam hodie; hodie effugit 
Inclitus at Hagano contra mox reddidit ista:  DDSSDS 
Unum dico tibi, regum fortissime, tantum:  SDSSDS 
Si totiens tu Waltharium pugnasse videres 520  Videres equiv. to vidisses

 

 DSDSDS 
Atque nova totiens, quotiens ego, caede furentem,  Aeineid 2.499-500.: vidi ipse furentem/ caede Neoptolemum. ‘I myself saw Neoptolemus, mad with slaughter.’ 8.695: arva nova Neptunia caede rubescunt. Neptune’s fields redden with strange slaughter.’ 10.514-515.: te, Turne, superbum/ caede nova. . . ‘You, Turnus, still flushed with fresh slaughter. . .’

 

 DDDDDS 
Numquam tam facile spoliandum forte putares.  SDDSDS 
Vidi Pannonias acies, cum bella cierent  Aeineid 1.541: bella cient. ‘They stir up wars.’ Statius, Thebaid 11.487: cum bella cieret. . . ‘When he made war. . .’

 

 
Europe500.png
  		 SDDSDS 
Contra Aquilonares sive Australes regiones:  Aquilonares equiv. to Aquilonias

 

 DSSSDS
Elision: contra Aquilonares; sive Australes  		 Since the beginning of the poem is spent establishing that all of western Europe fears the Huns, Hagan's assertion that he is greater than them carries considerable weight. MCD 
Illic Waltharius propria virtute coruscus 525  SDDSDS   Recurrence of "coruscus" emphasizes Walther's fame. 
Hostibus invisus, sociis mirandus obibat:  Aeineid 6.167: lituo pugnas insignis obibat et hasta. ‘He braved the fray, glorious for clarion and spear alike.’

 

 DSDSDS 
Quisquis ei congressus erat, mox Tartara vidit.  Aeineid 6.134-135.: bis nigra videre/ Tartara. . . ‘Twice to see black Tartarus. . .’

 

 DSDSDS   The Waltharius-poet uses a Virgilian formula here, which may be significant in the effort to place the poem's religious loyalties. Though little is known specifically of continental Germanic paganism, it is generally assumed to bear some similarity to Scandinavian cults, since related tribes colonized the areas during the period of migration following the Fall of Rome. According to what is known of Scandinavian beliefs, a warrior who fell in battle might hope that his soul would fly to Valhalla, a feasting hall in the realm of the gods, where great warriors awaited the final battle, Ragnarok, at the end of the world. Those who died of sickness or accident traveled instead to Hel, in an underworld which resembles Roman Tartarus or Christian Hell much more closely than Valhalla. A warrior who died in battle with Walther, according to such a belief system, was much more fortunate than one who died safe in his bed. There is little trace of such an ethos in Hagan's warning, however; he treats death as a fate to be avoided. In this sense, Gunther's mockery of Hagan's caution perhaps is justified in terms of Germanic religion; that Gunther's world-view is clearly denigrated, however, suggests that the Waltharius-poet wishes to associate all death with the darkness of Hel, stripping it of any (pagan) glory. For a further discussion of Germanic religion, see Rudolf Simek's chapter in Early Germanic Literature and Culture,ed. Brian Murdoch and Malcolm Read (2004). 
O rex et comites, experto credite, quantus  : Aeineid 11.283-284.: experto credite quantus/ in clipeum adsurgat, quo turbine torqueat hastam. ‘Trust one who has experienced it, how huge he looms above his shield, with what whirlwind he hurls his spear.’

 

 SDSSDS 
In clipeum surgat, quo turbine torqueat hastam.'  : Aeineid 11.283-284.: experto credite quantus/ in clipeum adsurgat, quo turbine torqueat hastam. ‘Trust one who has experienced it, how huge he looms above his shield, with what whirlwind he hurls his spear.’

 

 DSSDDS   TK 
Sed dum Guntharius male sana mente gravatus 530  Aeineid 4.8: male sana. . . ‘Much distraught. . .’

 

 SDDSDS 
Nequaquam flecti posset, castris propriabant.  Propiabant equiv. to appropinquabant

 

 SSSSDS 
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