- Walter of Aquitaine
. He figures in several epic poems and narratives in medieval languages:
* "
Waldere ", anOld English fragment
* "Waltharius ", a Latin epic written by the monkEkkehard I of St Gall
* "Chronicon Novaliciense " ("Chronicle of Novalesa"), a Latin prose chronicle composed "c."1060, atNovalesa Abbey [http://www.abbazianovalesa.org/secolo_xi.htm] : Waltarius figures in chapters 7-13
* "Nibelungenlied ", anOld High German epic in which Walter is mentioned briefly
* "Walther", a lostMiddle High German epic of which several short fragments from different redactions are known. In these the hero is sometimes called "Walther von Kärlingen"
* "Þiðrekssaga", which tells the stories of Walter briefly in chapters 241-244
* "Chronicon Poloniae " ("Chronicle of Poland") byBoguchwał , which outlines the story of Walter as a Polish count, "Wdaly Walczerz", under the year 1135.The most complete of these is the second, the 9th century Latin epic poem "
Waltharius ", in which Walter fights single-handedly against the Burgundian kingGunther and his retinue, killing all attackers except for Gunther and Hagen. In later literature, Walter figures in Scheffel's novel "Ekkehard " (1887).Walter is not a historical king, but the historical nucleus of the events lies in the 5th century (the reign of the
Balti dynasty ), after kingWallia established a Visigothic kingdom in Aquitaine in417 , clashing with theVandals under kingGunderic . The Burgundians became neighbours of the Visigoths after being resettled toSavoy byFlavius Aëtius in443 during the rule ofGunderic of Burgundy .References
*"Waldere" ed. F. Norman (London: Methuen, 1933) pp. 7-13.
See also A. Ebert, "Allg. Gesch. der Lit. des Mittelalters im Abendlande" (Leipzig, 1874-1887); R. Koegel, "Gesch. der deutschen Literatur bis zum Ausgange des Mittelalters" (vol. i., pt. 11, Strassburg, 1897); M.D. Lamed, "The Saga of Walter of Aquitaine" (Baltimore, 1892); B. Symons, "Deutsche Heldensage" (Strassburg, 1905).
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