A summary of the Thidrekssaga, part 2

On this page, I will give an extended summary of Thidrekssaga chapters 80-133.

7: Witig (Ths. 80-95)

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itig Wieland's son does not want to become a smith. Instead, he aspires to be a hero and wants to fight the great Dietrich von Bern. Reluctantly, Wieland lets him go, giving him Mimung to defeat Dietrich.

On the way to Bern, Witig meets Hildebrand, Heime and Hornboge, a hero having agreed to serve Dietrich. He eagerly tells them his plans and Hildebrand says Dietrich is becoming far too arrogant in his heroism and should have a lesson in humility. He does not, however, mention his exact relation to Dietrich. They all swear eternal brotherhood, Hildebrand and Heime under a false name.

Hildebrand then tests Witig by sending him against some robbers living in a small fortress. Witig, of course, kills most of them in a spectacular way using Mimung. Seeing Mimung in action, Hildebrand becomes thoughtful.

That night, Hildebrand secretly exchanges their swords: he takes Mimung and gives his own sword to Witig. He wants to curb Dietrich's arrogance, but does not want him to die in the process.

The next day, Witig again proves himself to be a hero. Some of the remaining robbers have cut down a bridge and taunt the heroes from the safe side of the river. Witig forces his horse to take a mighty jump across and wreaks fearful slaughter. Hildebrand and Hornboge also try to jump, but fall into the river. They swim ashore to help Witig. Heime imitates Witig's jump, but refuses to help him, despite sworn oaths. After the fight, Hildebrand tells Witig his real name and his connection to Dietrich.

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hen they reach Bern, Witig challenges Dietrich. Dietrich, however, indignantly refuses to fight such a rascal. Hildebrand talks him into fighting, but not into respecting Witig. During the preparations, Dietrich is most impolite.

The fight starts and the two heroes are evenly matched. When Witig, however, tries to give Dietrich a mighty blow, his sword breaks in two. Hildebrand asks Dietrich to spare Witig, but Dietrich refuses. Then, Hildebrand returns Mimung to its rightful owner.

Now Witig has the upper hand and Dietrich asks Hildebrand to mediate. Hildebrand refuses. Then king Dietmar offers Witig a ransom for his son, but Witig refuses. After a little more fighting, Hildebrand asks Witig to spare Dietrich. Witig agrees, not for Dietrich's sake but for Hildebrand's, who has proved himself a friend.

Later, Hildebrand even manages to make Dietrich and Witig friends. Heime, however, until now Dietrich's best friend, is jealous.

8: Heroes and dragons (Ths. 96-107)

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aving lost honour in his fight against Witig, Dietrich badly needs some fresh influx of heroism. He sets out on his own, traveling east.

In a forest by night, Dietrich meets the knight Ecke, who challenges him. Dietrich refuses, saying it is too dark to see. Ecke taunts him and again challenges him in the name of the Queen with the Nine Daughters, to whom he is married. Again, Dietrich refuses, but when Ecke challenges him for the third time, Dietrich is forced to fight.

Dietrich is hard pressed in this fight and Ecke brings him down. Forgoing their swords, they wrestle. When Ecke has almost killed Dietrich, Dietrich's horse Falke enters the fight and breaks Ecke's back. Dietrich takes Ecke's gear, notably his sword Eckisax. From this moment on, Dietrich uses Eckisax instead of Nagelring.

Wearing Ecke's armour and sword, Dietrich rides to the Drekanfels, where the Queen and her Nine Daughters live. He is chased when he is discovered not to be Ecke. Afterwards, he meets Fasold, Ecke's brother, who accuses him of murdering Ecke.

To aqcuit his honour, Dietrich must fight Fasold. Fasold gives him a blow that flattens him. Being used to win his fights with one blow, Fasold rides away, but Dietrich comes round and chases him. They fight again and now Dietrich wins. He offers Fasold eternal friendship, and thus has won a new hero.

9: Witig and Heime, part 1 (Ths. 108-110)

10: Detlef the Dane (Ths. 111-129)

In my opinion, this story has been extensively reworked to include a lot of boring facts on courtly behaviour.

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etlef Biterolf's son is lazy, and refuses to bathe or even fight. He is thus a rascal.

Nevertheless, when traveling with his father, he acquits himself honourably in a fight against Heime's band of robbers. Together, father and son kill all robbers except for Heime, who flees and is so frightened that he even takes the sound of a watermill for Detlef pursuing him. He returns to Dietrich.

Not surprisingly, Detlef decides to set out for Bern to serve Dietrich. First, he goes to Sigurd the Greek, fighting him and getting involved with both his daughter and his Siegerstein.

• In my opinion, Sigurd the Greek is no part of the original saga, the more since this part of the story has no connection whatsoever to any other story.

Then Detlef finds Dietrich and enters his service as a humble servant. Dietrich and his following are the guests of his uncle Ermenrik, who throws a party. Detlef eagerly gives his own banquets, raising the money by pawning Heime's, Witig's and finally even Dietrich's gear and horses.

On discovering this, Dietrich is not pleased. Ermenrik, however, pays Detlef's debts. Then he invites Detlef to a banquet of his own.

• In my opinion, this pawning and repaying is no part of the original story, either. I think that the original story first described Detlef as an unmannered rascal taking service with Dietrich, and then added the following part:

Ermenrik's nephew Walther unfavourably comments on Detlef's table manners, which inevitably leads to a fight. Detlef defeats Walther in both stone- and spearthrowing and Ermenrik is forced to ransom Walther's head. Detlef is promoted to full hero.

11: Some more heroes (Ths. 130-133)

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he heroes Amelung Horboge's son, Wildeber and Herbrand the Well-Traveled arrive at Dietrich's court. King Dietmar dies, making Dietrich King of Bern.