#ermenrich

Dear

Among the most interesting documents from the late period of the heroic tradition in Germany is the aforementioned "Heldenbuch Prose." It appears in the manuscript of Diebolt von Hanowe and in the 1590 printed edition as a preface, whereas in the first five printed editions it serves as a concluding piece (in some copies of the first edition, it was erroneously bound at the front). Consequently, older scholarship features the designations "Appendix" and "Preface to the Heldenbuch" side by side. An excerpt is provided in two additional printed editions of Dietrich epics dating from around 1555 and 1560/65 (see pp. 129 f., 150). This short text—which fills just under eleven pages in the first printed edition—offers nothing less than a comprehensive account of the heroic age. It begins with the advent of the first hero, King Orendel of Trier, and concludes with the passing of the last hero, Dietrich of Bern. The existence of the heroes is grounded in a kind of herogony; their downfall takes place in a massive battle fought outside Bern. The events occurring between this herogony and the "twilight of the heroes" are recounted partly in the form of name catalogs—accompanied by more or less detailed notes regarding the history of each named figure—and partly in the form of longer narratives. Genealogy and geography serve as structuring and integrating elements: specifically, the intricate web of kinship ties connecting the heroes and their association with three distinct spheres of origin and activity: the Ripuarian Rhineland surrounding Cologne and Aachen, the Hungarian realm of the Huns, and the Burgundian Kingdom centered on Worms. Central to the entire work is the story of Dietrich of Bern. If one pieces together the scattered and somewhat disjointed details, a veritable biography of Dietrich emerges: Dietrich is the grandson of Wolfdietrich and the son of Dietmar. When Dietmar’s wife is pregnant with Dietrich, she dreams that her husband is lying beside her; yet upon awakening, she finds a "hollow" spirit—the evil spirit Machmet (that is, Mohammed!)—at her side. He prophesies to her that the child will be the mightiest spirit (!) ever born, and that fire will shoot from his mouth whenever he is angry. Thereupon, the Devil (that very Machmet?) builds the mighty fortress (city) of Bern in the span of three nights. Dietmar has three brothers: Ermenrich, Harlung, and the young Dietrich. Ermenrich rapes the wife of his marshal, Sibeche, who exacts his revenge through treacherous counsel. Thus, he advises Ermenrich to strip his nephews—Harlung’s sons—of the lands their father had bequeathed to them. Ermenrich has them hanged. Their tutor and guardian, the loyal Eckhart of Breisach, notifies Dietrich, and the two wage war against Ermenrich. Dietrich succeeds in capturing Ermenrich’s son, while Ermenrich captures eight of Dietrich’s men. Dietrich offers to exchange the prisoners, but Ermenrich refuses: Dietrich may do whatever he pleases with his son. To ransom his men, Dietrich is forced to surrender his land to Ermenrich. He departs on foot with his followers and arrives in Bechelaren, at the court of Margrave Rüdiger. Through Rüdiger’s mediation, King Etzel grants him asylum. Etzel’s wife, Herche, gives him her niece, Herrat, as a bride. (At this time, Dietrich is a widower. His first wife was Hertlin, the daughter of a King of Portugal, whom he had rescued from the clutches of Goldemar, who had abducted her; cf. p. 106.) Etzel places a large army at Dietrich’s disposal, with the aid of which he reclaims his land. Dietrich had once slain Kriemhild’s husband, Siegfried, in the Rose Garden at Worms. To exact her revenge, Kriemhild—following Herche’s death—becomes Etzel’s wife; she invites all the heroes of the world to a feast at his court and provokes a massacre. Dietrich overpowers two of Kriemhild’s brothers and binds them. Kriemhild strikes off their heads, and for this act, Dietrich cleaves her in two. Later, a renewed battle takes place outside Bern, bringing about the end of the Age of Heroes: