Anonymous, Waltharius

Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast)
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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 Germanic, classical and Christian elements. It is thought that the poem…

778 words

Citation: Magennis, Hugh. "Waltharius". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 April 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11998, accessed 28 March 2024.]

11998 Waltharius 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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