Waltharius215
Walther returns from battle and encounters Hildegund (215–255)
Ecce palatini decurrunt arce ministri | 215 | Palatini: “palace servants”
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Prudentius, Apotheosis 481: ecce Palatinus. . .minister. . . ‘See the servant of the palace. . .’ Aeneid 2.41: Laocoon ardens summa decurrit ab arce. ‘Laocoon in hot haste runs down from the citadel’s height.’ 11.490: fulgebatque alta decurrens aureus arce. ‘He shone with gold as he ran down from the fortress height.’
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DSSSDS | ||
Illius aspectu hilares equitemque tenebant, | Illius equiv. to Waltharii, objective genitive. Equitem equiv. to equum
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DSDDDS Hiatus: aspectu hilares False quantities: illius |
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Donec vir sella descenderet inclitus alta. | SSSDDS | |||||
Si bene res vergant, tum demum forte requirunt. | Si…vergant: indirect question
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DSSSDS | ||||
Ille aliquid modicum narrans intraverat aulam, | Liber Hester 4.2: non enim erat licitum indutum sacco aulam regis intrare. ‘For no one clothed with sackcloth might enter the king’s court.’
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DDSSDS Elision: ille aliquid |
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lassus enim fuerat), regisque cubile petebat. | 220 | Cubile equiv. to cubiculum
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DDSDDS | |||
Illic Hiltgundem solam offendit residentem. | SSSSDS Elision: solam offendit |
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Cui post amplexus atque oscula dulcia dixit: | Aeneid 1.687: cum dabit amplexus atque oscula dulcia figet. . . ‘When she takes you to her bosom, embraces you and imprints sweet kisses. . .’
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SSSDDS Elision: atque oscula |
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ocius huc potum ferto, quia fessus anhelo.' | Ocius: as often in the Waltharius, an adverb’s comparative form is used without any real comparative sense.
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Statius Thebaid 11.7-8.: Phlegrae ceu fessus anhelet/ proelia. . . ‘As though he were breathless and weary after Phlegra’s fight. . .’
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DSSDDS | |||
Illa mero tallum complevit mox pretiosum | Tallum: “cup, goblet” – a Germanism.
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Aeneid 1.729: implevitque mero pateram. ‘She filled the cup with wine.’ Liber II Macchabeorum 14.4: . . .offerens ei. . .tallos qui templi esse videbantur. ‘. . .Offering to him. . .boughs which seemed to belong to the temple.’
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DSSSDS | The trope of a woman offering drink or other reward for military service to the hero is common to both Classical and Germanic traditions. In Aeneid 1.729, Dido offers Aeneas wine. The word used there is implevit, echoed in the Waltharius by complevit. This theme is also present in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. After killing Grendel, Beowulf receives a necklace and a byrnie from Wealtheow, Hrothgar’s wife (l. 1215-1220). Before the contest with Grendel, Wealtheow offers Beowulf drink (l. 623-625), on his homecoming, Queen Hygd, the wife of Hygelac, also distributes mead (l. 1980-1983), and Beowulf also talks of Freawaru, Hrothgar’s daughter, distributing mead. Coincidently, Freawaru marries Ingeld, of whom Alcuin wrote to a bishop named Speratus, scolding him for listening to songs and stories of pagan heros, writing “What has Ingeld to do with Christ?” [AE] | |
Porrexitque viro, qui signans accipiebat | 225 | Signans: “making the sign of the Cross” before partaking of the drink.
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Lucan 9.503: porrexitque duci. Aeneid 8.274: pocula porgite dextris. ‘Stretch forth the cup in your hands.’
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SDSSDS | It seems that "signans" must be translated as Kratz does: “…gave it to the man, who, as he took it, crossed / himself, and pressed the maiden’s hand with his….” This translation is overtly Christian, but it is difficult to make sense of the passage otherwise. One way this could look would be that Hildegund offered Walther the filled cup, and he held it and her hand, while blessing the cup with his other hand. Du Cange’s Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis gives the Christian definition as the most common one and traces its use back to Tertullian, so it would likely have carried that connotation to a ninth- or tenth- century author or audience, especially if that audience were monastic. [AE] | |
Virgineamque manum propria constrinxit. at illa | DDDSDS | It would be interesting if the last two words of this line ("at illa") were intended as a pun on Attila’s name. However, this seems unlikely for several reasons. If the line were translated with "Attila" instead of "at illa," it would leave Attila to “stand there, silent, staring at [his] master’s face,” which does not make sense, even in a joking way. The phrase also appears later in the poem once Attila is gone (l. 673). [AE] | ||||
Astitit et vultum reticens intendit herilem, | DSDSDS | |||||
Walthariusque bibens vacuum vas porrigit olli | Aeneid 1.254: olli subridens. . . ‘Smiling on her. . .’
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DDDSDS | ||||
Ambo etenim norant de se sponsalia facta -- | Juvencus 1.2143: sponsalia pacta." | DSSSDS Elision: ambo etenim |
This is one of the few hints given to the chronology of the first part of the poem. We know that when the hostages were taken, Gunther was too young to leave his mother, and we know that the three children are essentially adults by the time they leave (Hildegund is old enough to serve as quartermistress, and the boys have become warriors), and here we learn that Hildegund and Walther were both old enough when they were taken that they remember they are betrothed. Of course, it is also possible that Hagen or another captive knew of the betrothal and told them. [AE] | |||
Provocat et tali caram sermone puellam: | 230 | DSSSDS | ||||
exilium pariter patimur iam tempore tanto, | Aeneid 2.638: exsiliumque pati. . . ‘to suffer exile. . .’
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DDDSDS | The theme of exile is also common to both Classical and Germanic poems. In Anglo-Saxon, the elegies The Wanderer, The Seafarer, and The Wife’s Lament each recount sad stories of exile. In the Aeneid, the phrase exsilium pati appears, describing what Aeneas’s father will not do (l. 2.638). Ovid also wrote exile poems. Additionally, as Walther and Hildegund go into exile for the sake of their earthly fathers, and Hagen does so for the sake of his earthly lord, religious figures of their period underwent exile or wandering for the sake of God. [AE]
You may also want to mention that exile is central to the Old Testament (e.g. Ezekiel, Esther). [JJTY] Exile is also important in the Old Testament. The Book of Ezekiel takes place during the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews, after the destruction of Solomon's Temple. In that case, it is an entire people that is exiled. The story of Esther, in the Book of Esther, is also that of an exile. | |||
Non ignorantes, quid nostri forte parentes | SSSSDS | |||||
Inter se nostra de re fecere futura. | SSSSDS | |||||
Quamne diu tacito premimus haec ipsa palato?' | Aeneid 7.103: non ipse suo premit ore Latinus. ‘Latinus keeps not shut within his own lips.’
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DDDSDS | ||||
Virgo per hyroniam meditans hoc dicere sponsum | 235 | Per hyroniam: “ironically,” i.e., insincerely, to tease her.
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DDDSDS | This passage, particularly the word hyroniam in line 235, forms the heart of many scholars’ arguments about irony in the poem. It is clear from this passage that the poet understands the phenomenon of irony, and that he uses it for humorous effect, at least in this instance. However, it is not clear from this passage whether the poet meant anything more than entertainment, let alone the Christian conversion message which Parkes argues that the irony encodes (“Irony in Waltharius”). This passage is ironic because Walther says the opposite of what Hildegund expects, and it might be funny because the betrothed misunderstand each other, but in this key example, the poet does not attack pagan values. Indeed, Walther himself is not even being ironic. Hildegund only thinks he is. Another interpretation is that Walther is joking with Hildegund, and she plays along. However, their relationship does not involve this kind of joking elsewhere in the poem. For further investigation of irony in the Waltharius, see Dennis Green, Ford B. Parkes, Alain Renoir, and David Townsend. [AE] | ||
Paulum conticuit, sed postea talia reddit: | Aeneid 2.323; 10.530: talia reddit. ‘He answers thus.’
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SDSDDS | ||||
Quid lingua simulas, quod ab imo pectore damnas, | Aeneid 1.371: imoque trahens a pectore. 6.55: pectore ab imo. . . ‘From his inmost heart. . .’ 11.840: imo pectore.
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SDDSDS | ||||
Oreque persuades, toto quod corde refutas, | DSSSDS | |||||
Sit veluti talem pudor ingens ducere nuptam?' | Sit veluti…pudor: “As if it were a disgrace to…!”
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DSDSDS | ||||
Vir sapiens contra respondit et intulit ista: | 240 | DSSDDS | ||||
absit quod memoras! dextrorsum porrige sensum! | Porrige equiv. to dirige Dextrorsum: i.e., to what is favorable/correct.
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Aeneid 4.109: quod memoras. . . ‘What you say. . .’
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SDSSDS | |||
Noris me nihilum simulata mente locutum | Aeneid 4.105: sensit enim simulata mente locutam. ‘For she knew that with feigned purpose she had spoken.’
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SDDSDS | This line closely parallels line 4.105 of the Aeneid ("sensit enim simulata mente locutam"), but in the Aeneid, Venus has actually been fraudulent, whereas Walther here pleads that he was not. [AE] | |||
Nec quicquam nebulae vel falsi interfore crede. | SDSSDS Elision: falsi interfore |
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Nullus adest nobis exceptis namque duobus: | DSSSDS | |||||
Si nossem temet mihi promptam impendere mentem | 245 | SSDSDS Elision: promptam impendere |
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Atque fidem votis servare per omnia cautis, | DSSDDS | |||||
Pandere cuncta tibi cordis mysteria vellem.' | DDSSDS | |||||
Tandem virgo viri genibus curvata profatur: | SDDSDS | |||||
ad quaecumque vocas, mi domne, sequar studiose | Domne equiv. to Domine
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Aeneid 4.114: perge, sequar. ‘Go on; I will follow.’ Eclogue 3.49: veniam quocumque vocaris. ‘Wherever you challenge me, I’ll be there.’ Aeneid 5.22-23.: sequamur,/ quoque vocat, vertamus iter. ‘Let us follow, and turn our course whither she calls.’
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SDSDDS | |||
Nec quicquam placitis malim praeponere iussis.' | 250 | SDSSDS | ||||
Ille dehinc: 'piget exilii me denique nostri | DDDSDS | |||||
Et patriae fines reminiscor saepe relictos | Eclogue 1.3: nos patriae finis et dulcia linquimus arva. ‘We are leaving our country’s bounds and sweet fields.’
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DSDSDS | ||||
Idcircoque fugam cupio celerare latentem. | Aeneid 1.357: tum celerare fugam patriaque excedere suadet. ‘Then he bids her take speedy flight.’ 3.666: nos procul inde fugam. . .celerare. ‘We speed our flight far from there.’ 9.378: celerare fugam.
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SDDDDS | ||||
Quod iam prae multis potuissem forte diebus, | Prae multis…diebus: “many days ago.” Classical authors use prae + abl. to mean “before” only in a spatial sense.
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Aeneid 2.342: forte diebus. . . ‘In those days, as it chanced. . .’
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SSDSDS | |||
Si non Hiltgundem solam remanere dolerem.' | 255 | SSSDDS |