![Volker Islan2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Volker_Islan2.jpg)
Volker von Alzey is a legendary figure from the
Nibelungenlied
The ( gmh, Der Nibelunge liet or ), translated as ''The Song of the Nibelungs'', is an epic poetry, epic poem written around 1200 in Middle High German. Its anonymous poet was likely from the region of Passau. The is based on an oral tradition ...
. He is the
minstrel
A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer who ...
at the court of
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
in
Worms Worms may refer to:
*Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs
Places
*Worms, Germany, a city
**Worms (electoral district)
*Worms, Nebraska, U.S.
*Worms im Veltlintal, the German name for Bormio, Italy
Arts and entertainme ...
. His headquarters
Alzey
Alzey () is a ''Verband''-free town – one belonging to no ''Verbandsgemeinde'' – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the fifth-largest town in Rhenish Hesse, after Mainz, Worms, Germany, Worms, Ingelheim am Rhein ...
is located about from Worms. Volker is one of the Burgundian knights and heroes. He dies at
Hildebrand
Hildebrand is a character from Germanic heroic legend. ''Hildebrand'' is the modern German form of the name: in Old High German it is ''Hiltibrant'' and in Old Norse ''Hildibrandr''. The word ''hild'' means "battle" and ''brand'' means "sword". ...
's hand with the other Burgundians fighting alongside
Hagen
Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...
at King
Etzel's castle.
Excerpt from the Nibelungenlied
Original
„Die drie künege wâren, als ich gesaget hân,
von vil hôhem ellen: in wâren undertân
ouch die besten recken, von de man hât gesaget,
starc und vil küene, in scharpfen strîten unverzaget.
Daz was von Tronege Hagene und ouch der bruoder sîn,
Dancwart der vil snelle, von Metzen Ortwîn,
der zwene marcgrâven Gêre und Ekkewart,
Volkêr von Alzeije, mit ganzem ellen wol bewart.
English translation
In truth were these three rulers, / as I before did say,
Great and high in power, / and homage true had they
Eke of knights the boldest / and best that e'er were known,
Keen men all and valiant, / as they in battle oft had shown.
There was of Tronje Hagen, / and of that princely line
His brother valiant Dankwart; / and eke of Metz Ortwein;
Then further the two margraves, / Gere and Eckewart;
Of Alzei was Volker, / a doughty man of dauntless heart.
Volker's "fiddle"
Volker was noted as "a minstrel and player of the ''fidla'', a medieval stringed instrument among the predecessors of the violin."
This instrument, also spelled "
Fiðla
The ''Icelandic fiddle'' (Icelandic: fiðla ˆfɪðla is a traditional Icelandic instrument that can be described as a box with two brass strings which is played with a bow. The strings stretch across one end of the box to the other where they ...
" is usually translated as "fiddle".
Volker's fiddle in coats of arms
File:DEU Alzey COA.svg, Coat of arms of Alzey
File:DEU Landkreis Alzey-Worms COA.svg, Coat of arms of the Alzey-Worms
Alzey-Worms () is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise) the district Groß-Gerau (Hesse), the city of Worms and the districts of Bad Dürkheim, Donnersbergkreis, Bad Kreuznach and Mainz-Bingen. ...
district, showing the Nibelung Dragon above Volker's fidla
Volker in popular culture
*Volker von Alzey, played by
Hans von Borsody
Hans von Borsody (; 20 September 1929 – 4 November 2013) was a German film actor.
He was born in Vienna into an artistic family of Hungarian descent. His father Eduard was a film director, his uncle Julius a set designer.(in German) His daughte ...
, is the narrator in the 1966 film version of the
Nibelung Saga.
*
Walter Plathe played Volker singing in the 2008 at the
Nibelung Festival, Worms
Nibelungenfestspiele Worms is a theatre festival in Worms, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.
The festival takes place every year since its re-establishment in 2002, usually in July or August as part of the . The performance venue is an open-air stage di ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Volker von Alzey
German heroic legends
Nibelung tradition
Fictional knights
Fictional characters from Rhineland-Palatinate