Anonymous, Waltharius

Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4: German-language Literature and Culture.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 850 - c. 950

Places

Germany (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

Waltharius is a poem in Latin epic style about the Germanic heroic age, composed by a Frankish monk in the ninth or tenth century. It is written in the style of Virgil, in 1456 hexameters, and is strongly influenced also by the Latin poets Statius and Prudentius. It tells the story of the hero Waltharius (Walter) and of his escape, along with his betrothed, Hiltgunt, from the stronghold of Attila the Hun to his native Aquitania. There has been considerable scholarly discussion concerning the authorship of the poem and the specific period of its composition but there is still no consensus on these issues. Waltharius is recognised, however, as an important literary product of Frankish culture, combining in a unique way …

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778 words

Citation: Magennis, Hugh. "Waltharius". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 April 2003 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11998, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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