“Creation” of Kinship as a Narrative Strategy in Cyclization of German Heroic Epic Traditions

The legend about the flight of Theoderic the Great (†526) is preserved in several variants from the beginning of the 9th to the 13th century. It is considered to be of Ostrogothic origin and emerged in the 6th or 7th century, i.e. soon after Theoderic’s death. It has its historical roots in the struggle for power in Northern Italy between Theoderic who invaded Italy with the leader of German army Odoacer who seized Rome and became the king of Italy in 476. The war between the two German kings continued for 488 to 493 when Odoacer was killed by Theoderic. The allusions to the earliest variant of the legend is represented in the partially preserved German Hildebrandslied (early 9th century). It tells that a Gothic warrior Hildebrand joined the duel with his son on his way back to Italy after 30-years exile together with his king Theoderic at the court of the Hunnish king Attila (†453). The plot of the Hildebrandslied bases on the having already taken shape legend about Theoderic’s flight. Driven out by Odoacer, Theoderic escapes at Attila’s court together with his retinue (in reality Theoderic never left Italy); 30 years later Theoderic defeats Odoacer with the help of Attila’s army and returns his power over Italy. The legend as alluded to in the Hildebrandslied contaminated nonsimultaneous layers of the German epics: the tradition about the struggle of Theoderic and Odoacer and the tradition about Attila. The next stage in the evolution of the legend is recorded in the Quedlinburg Annals (ca. 1030). Theoderic’s persecutor this time turns to be his cousin (uncle) Ermanaric (second half of the 4th century) who expels Theodoric at Odoacer’s instigation, and Theoderic finds asylum at Attila’s court. The establishment of kin relationship between the heroes of different Germanic traditions allowed to unite them in a single legend. Its final form the legend acquires in German 13th century poems where Ermanaric completely forces Odoacer out.