Hildebrand and Hadubrand
Older and more experienced, Hildebrand
tragically killed his own son when they
fought, as he was more skilled in battle.Gold ring
Hildebrand’s offer of his
ring reflected the medieval
European tradition of
fathers handing down their
treasure to their sons.The Battle of Roncevaux
After a prolonged and valiant battle at the Roncevaux Pass, the
knight Roland finally summoned help. Emperor Charlemagne arrived
to defeat the enemy, but was too late to save Roland.TALES OF HEROISM AND CHIVALRYGUDRUN AND HER SUITORS
Gudrun was a Netherlandish princess, daughter of Hetel
and sister of Ortwin. She refused two suitors, Siegfried
and Hartmut, but a third suitor, the brave knight Herwig,
gained her favour. When Siegfried found out about this,
he launched an attack on Herwig, and Hetel and Ortwin
put on their armour and rode to aid Herwig in battle.
Meanwhile, Hartmut, seeing that both his rival suitors
were occupied in battle, rode to Hetel’s castle and
abducted Gudrun. Hartmut and his family then tried to
persuade Gudrun to marry him, but the spirited princess
staunchly refused, so they forced her to do menial work.
When Siegfried came to know of Hartmut’s intentions, he
made a truce with Herwig, and the three knights – Hetel,
Herwig, and Siegfried – banded together to rescue Gudrun.
ROLAND AND OLIVER
Emperor Charlemagne ruled over the Frankish
kingdoms in Europe in the 8th and early 9th
centuries. One of his knights, Roland, was
widely known for his bravery in battle. Once,
legend has it, he duelled with another knight
for five days without knowing his opponent’s
identity; he finally realized he was fighting his
best friend, Oliver, with whom he then made
peace. Later, when leading the rearguard of the
emperor’s army at the Battle of Roncevaux (c.778), Roland
did not pay heed to Oliver’s advice to blow his horn and
summon help if needed, and was thus killed in battle.THE DEATH OF HADUBRAND
Dietrich had to fight Odoacer, the ruler of Italy, to win
his kingdom. Before the battle, some soldiers from
Odoacer’s army challenged a few of Dietrich’s men to
single combat; one such challenge was issued to Dietrich’s
warrior, Hildebrand, by a young follower of Odoacer.
When Hildebrand questioned his challenger, it became
clear that the young man was in fact Hildebrand’s
long-lost son, Hadubrand, whom Hildebrand had not
seen since he was a baby. But Hadubrand had been told
that his father was dead and refused to believe that he
was alive, even when Hildebrand ofered his son a gold
ring from the family’s treasures. Finally, their tempers
raised, the two men fought, and
Hadubrand was killed.
Gudrun’s abduction
An unwilling Gudrun was forcibly taken
by Hartmut and his men, and made to work
as a servant in his household.Roland
the brave63