Walter or Walther of Aquitaine is a king of the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

Germanic heroic legend Germanic heroic legend (german: germanische Heldensage) is the heroic literary tradition of the Germanic-speaking peoples, most of which originates or is set in the Migration Period (4th-6th centuries AD). Stories from this time period, to which ...

Epic poetry

Walter figures in several epic poems and narratives dealing with

in medieval languages: * ''

Waldere "Waldere" or "Waldhere" is the conventional title given to two Old English fragments, of around 32 and 31 lines, from a lost epic poem, discovered in 1860 by E. C. Werlauff, Librarian, in the Danish Royal Library at Copenhagen, where it is stil ...

'', a fragment of an

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

epic of which just over sixty lines survive. * ''

Waltharius ''Waltharius'' is a Latin epic poem founded on German popular tradition relating the exploits of the Visigothic hero Walter of Aquitaine. While its subject matter is taken from early medieval Germanic legend, the epic stands firmly in the Latin ...

'', a 10th-century Latin epic written by the monk Ekkehard I of St Gall. * ''

Chronicon Novaliciense The ''Chronicon Novaliciense'' (or ''Chronicle of Novalesa'') is a monastic chronicle which was written in the mid-eleventh century in the valley of Susa. The ''Chronicle of Novalesa'' was written, c.1050, by an anonymous monk at the monastery o ...

'' ("Chronicle of Novalesa"), a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

prose chronicle composed ''c.''1060, at

Novalesa Abbey Novalesa Abbey ( it, Abbazia di Novalesa) is a Benedictine monastery in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, Italy. It was founded in 726, and dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Andrew. Novalesa is in the Val di Susa, on the route to the ...

:SECOLO XI
Abbazia de Novalesa website Waltarius figures in chapters 7-13. * ''

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 ...

'', a

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. High ...

epic in which Walter is mentioned briefly. * ''Walther'', a lost

epic of which several short fragments from different redactions are known. In these the hero is sometimes called "Walther von Kärlingen". * The Rosengarten zu Worms, where Walter appears among the Burgundian champions of Kriemhilt's rose garden. He refuses to fight his kinsman Dietleib. *

Biterolf und Dietleib ''Biterolf und Dietleib'' (Biterolf and Dietlieb) is an anonymous Middle High German heroic poem concerning the heroes Biterolf of Toledo, Spain, Toledo and his son Dietleib of Styria. It tells the tale of Biterolf and Dietleib's service at the co ...

, an epic tale about Walter's brother Biterolf and his nephew Dietleib, who enter the service of Etzel. Walter plays a supporting role. * '' Þiðrekssaga'', which tells the stories of Walter briefly in chapters 241-244. * ''Chronicon Poloniae'' ("Chronicle of Poland") by Boguchwał, which outlines the story of Walter as a Polish count, ''Wdaly Walczerz'', under the year 1135. The most complete poem specifically about Walter is ''

'', in which Walter fights single-handedly against the Burgundian king Gunther and his retinue, killing all attackers except for Gunther and

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 ...

. In later literature, Walter figures in

Scheffel The Scheffel was the German bushel. Scheffel is also used as a German surname. Notable people include: *David Scheffel, Canadian anthropologist * Johan Henrik Scheffel (1690-1781), Swedish artist *Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826–1886), Germa ...

's novel ''

Ekkehard Ekkehard (and Eckardt, Eckard, Eckart, Eckhardt, Ekkehart) is a German given name. It is composed of the elements ''ekke'' "edge, blade; sword" and ''hart'' "brave; hardy". Variant forms include Eckard, Eckhard, Eckhart, Eckart. The Anglo-Saxon fo ...

'' (1887). Walter is not a historical king, but the historical nucleus of his legend lies in the 5th century (the reign of the

Balti dynasty Balti may refer to: Places * Bălți, a city in Moldova * Bălți County (Moldova), a former county of Moldova * Bălți County (Romania), a former county of Romania * Balti Power Plant, one of two Narva Power Plants in Estonia * Bălți Steppe, ...

), after king

Wallia Wallia or Walha ( Spanish: ''Walia'', Portuguese ''Vália''), ( 385 – 418) was king of the Visigoths from 415 to 418, earning a reputation as a great warrior and prudent ruler. He was elected to the throne after Athaulf and then Sigeric were ...

established a Visigothic kingdom in

Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...

in 417, clashing with the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The ...

under king

Gunderic Gunderic ( la, Gundericus; 379–428), King of Hasding Vandals (407-418), then King of Vandals and Alans (418–428), led the Hasding Vandals, a Germanic tribe originally residing near the Oder River, to take part in the barbarian invasions of th ...

. The Burgundians became neighbours of the Visigoths after being resettled to

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

Flavius Aëtius Aetius (also spelled Aëtius; ; 390 – 454) was a Roman general and statesman of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was a military commander and the most influential man in the Empire for two decades (433454). He managed pol ...

in 443 during the rule of

Gunderic of Burgundy Gondioc (died 473), also called ''Gunderic'' and ''Gundowech'', was a King of the Burgundians, succeeding his putative father Gunther in 436. In 406, the Burgundians under King Gundahar (Gundihar, Guntiar) at Mainz had crossed the Rhine and ...

References

External links

*''Waldere'' ed. F. Norman (London: Methuen, 1933) pp. 7–13. * 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).
«La fuga de Walter de Aquitania»
Literalia.es (''Spanish'') {{Authority control Medieval legends Fictional kings German heroic legends

Epic poetry

See also

References

External links