Dietrich von Bern (Thiðrek)
Dietrich of Verona was a popular German hero, also known as Dietrich von Bern. Dietrich appeared in a number of medieval German heroic poems, known collectively as Dietrichsage.
The Dietrichsage became entwined with Nibelungen legend, such as in the German epic Nibelungenlied and in the Norwegian saga called Thiðrekssaga (Thidrekssaga). Dietrich appeared in poems called Dietrichs Flucht ("Dietrich's Flight"), Die Rabenschlacht ("The Battle of Ravenna"), and Alpharts Tod ("Alphart's Death"). Dietrich also appeared in the Waltharius.
In the Thiðrekssaga, he was known as the hero Thiðrek (Thidrek), the son of King Thetmar of Bern and of Odila. The Thiðrekssaga by far gave the fullest account of Dietrich/Thidrek, from childhood to his death, portraying him as a greater hero than even Sigurd (Siegfried). In a way, Thiðrek was like King Arthur, who was the leader of the Round Table. Thiðrek similarly became friends with many great warriors like Hildebrand, Vidga (Witege), Heimir, Sigurd, Gunnar, Hogni and many others. But unlike Arthur, Thiðrek remained in the forefront of the battles and adventures; whereas Arthur's role was reduced to being a passive king while his knights went off on perilous quests.
However, Dietrich was derived from the historical figure named Theodoric the Great, the Ostrogoth king of Italy. Theodoric ruled after Odoacer (AD 493), another Ostrogoth king. It was Odoacer who ended the Roman Empire in the West in AD 476, and was the first to establish the kingdom of Italy. Odoacer was Theodoric's true enemy, not Ermanaric as in the German legend, because Ermanaric had died a century earlier, in c. AD 376. Theodoric died in AD 526, a year before Justinian the Great began his reign in Byzantine. The kingdom of Italy didn't last after Theodoric's death.
In the Dietrichsage, Theodoric was evolved into a romanticised German hero. According to the German legend, Dietrich lost his kingdom to Ermanaric (Jormunrek), another Ostrogoth king who ruled in the region where modern Ukraine was, and went into exile for 30 years in Etzel's court (Etzel – Attila the Hun. See also Atli in the Norse characters). With the backing of the Huns, Dietrich defeated Ermanaric at the Battle of Ravenna, and later regained his kingdom with the death of Ermanaric.
Note that historically, Ermanaric (Jormunrek), Guntharius (Gunther or Gunnar) and Attila (Etzel or Atli) all actually lived at a time before Theodoric was even born.
In the Nibelungenlied, Dietrich was still living in exile at Etzel's court. Dietrich was the son of Dietmar (Theodemir). Dietrich was an Amelung (name of the family or dynasty, and his people were often called the Amelungs).
The poem mentioned several times that Dietrich was a friend of Hagen, while Hagen was serving as hostage to Etzel. It was because of that friendship that he warned Hagen of Kriemhild's plots when the Burgundians (Nibelungs) visited her in Hungary. Dietrich tried to remain neutral in the conflict between the Nibelungs (Burgundians) and the Huns.
However, he was drawn into the conflict when all of his vassals and warriors except Hildebrand were killed by the Nibelungs. Dietrich single-handedly captured and bound Gunther and Hagen. Dietrich became upset when Kriemhild executed Hagen. The epic ended with Hildebrand executing Kriemhild.
The Thiðrekssaga, an early 13th century Norwegian saga, provided the most extensive narrative of Thiðrek's life. Thiðrek (Dietrich) was made the nephew of Erminrek (Ermanaric), who would later become his archenemy. Thiðrek became the king of Bern (Verona), but lost his kingdom to his uncle Erminrek. He lived in exile for 32 years with Attila, the king in Hunland. Thiðrek left Attila's court after the destruction of the Niflungs, where he lost many of his followers. Thiðrek returned to Bern, where he regained his kingdom and married Lady Herad, the niece of Queen Erka. When Herad died from illness, Thiðrek married Isold, the wife of Hertnid. Thiðrek had killed the dragon that had killed Isold's husband.
Thiðrek was never seen again, after he mounted a demon steed. The saga ended with his fate being unknown.
Thiðrek wielded the swords Naglhring and Ekkisax. His helmet was called Hildigrim, and his horse was named Falka. On his red shield, he had a symbol of a gold lion with a gold crown above its head.
(Note that several people were named Thiðrek. One of them was King Osantrix of Vilkinaland, who changed his name to Thidrek of Vilkinaland so he could secretly enter the court of King Milias of Hunland, to seduce Milias' daughter Oda to be his wife. Another Thiðrek was Thiðrek Valdimarsson, who was the son of King Valdimar of Rusiland. Valdimar was Osantrix's brother.)
The only references I could find of Dietrich in the Icelandic works come from the 2nd and 3rd lays (poems) of Gudrun in the Poetic Edda. Dietrich does not appear in the Volsunga Saga. Dietrich is called Thiodrek in the lays of Gudrun. See Gudrun in Norse Heroes.
The Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson didn't mention Thiodrek/Dietrich in his Prose Edda at all.
In the Second Lay of Gudrun, Thiodrek (Dietrich) and Gudrun were trying to comfort one another, exchanging their woes. Gudrun lamented over her brothers, who were killed by Atli, while almost all of Thiodrek's men were killed, fighting on Atli's side.
In the Third Lay of Gudrun, Atli heard an accusation from Gudrun's maid that she saw his wife committing adultery with Thiodrek (Dietrich). Gudrun proved her innocence by retrieving some precious stones in a boiling cauldron, while the maid was scalded. Atli had the maid executed for her lies.
By Jimmy Joe
