TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. - Centrostudirpinia.it

358
HEROES.
Widukind of Corvci is the first who gives us out of old songs
the beautiful and truly epic story of the Saxons victory
over the
Thuringians, 1 which Kuodolf before him (Pertz 2, 674) had barely
touched. Irmenfried, king of the Thuringians, being oppressed by
Dieterich, king of the Franks, called the Saxons to his aid : they
appeared, and fought valiantly. But he began to waver in his
mind, he secretly negotiated a treaty with the Franks, and the two
nations were about to unite against the formidable Saxon host.
But the Saxons, becoming aware of the treachery, were beforehand ;
led by the aged Hathugat, they burst into the castle of the Thurin
gians, and slew them all ;
the Franks stood still, and applauded the;
warlike renown of the Saxons. Irmenfried fled, but, enticed by a
stratagem, returned to Dieterich s camp. In this camp was
staying Irmenfried s counsellor Iring, whose prudent plans had
previously rendered him great services. When Irmenfried knelt
before Dieterich, Iring stood by, and having been won by Dieterich,
slew his own lord. After this deed of horror, the Frankish king
banished him from his sight, but Iring said, Before I go,
I will
avenge my master, drew his sword, stabbed Dieterich dead, laid his
lord s body over that of the Frank, so that the vanquished
in life
for himself with the
might be the victor in death, opened a way
sword (viam ferro faciens), and escaped. Mirari tamen non
possumus adds Widukind, in tantum famam praevaluisse, ut
Iringi nomine, quern ita vocitant, lacteus coeli circulus usque in
chronicler :
* famam
praesens sit notatus. Or, with the Auersberg
in tantum praevaluisse, ut lacteus coeli circulus Iringis nomine
fringesstrdza usque in praesens sit vocatus notatus in Pertz
(sit
8, 178).
In confirmation, AS. glosses collected by Junius (Symb. 372)
give via secta : fringes mice, from which Somner and Lye borrow
their fringes weg, via secta . Conf. via sexta iringesuucc, Haupts
zeitschr. 5, 195. Unpubl. glosses of the libr. Amplonian at Erfurt
(10-1 1th cent. bl. 14a ) have via secta: luuaringes uucy ; which
Inwaring agrees very remarkably with the later form Euring in
Euringsstrass, Aventin 102b 103 a .
1 Conf. the differing but likewise old version, from a H. German district,
in Goldast s Script, rer. Suev. pp. 13, where Swabians take the place ot the
Saxons. The Auersberg chron. (ed. Argent. 1609, pp. 146-8) copies Widu
kind. Eckehard, in Pertz 8, 176-8.