ioo THE DESCENT OF BALLADS

was the chief representative of the beaten German peoples at the
Hunnish court. But, unlike his ancestor Ermanaric, he had no
'geste5 of his own until the late twelfth century, when he suddenly
became the centre of a sub-Arthurian court, and the representa-
tive of all Germany. The sagas of Weland the Smith and Widga
helped to give the proper introduction to his feats, and the Vilkina-
saga, Volsungasaga, Biterolf and Detlieb, Waltharius, Hildebrand,
Ermanaric's Death, and other heroic pieces were annexed to provide
the necessary incidents. His own part is chiefly to sally out against
the most reputable enemies, for no reason at all, and prove his
superiority. It is on this model that the Danish ballads are based,
both those which come from the text of the saga, and those which
are free. His confidence is overweening:

King Diderik sits in Brattingsborg

and out he looks so wide:
*No man know I in all the world,

that can be deemed my like.'

Then answered Brand Sir VifFerlin,

for he had wandered so wide:
*E*en will I show you a champion good,

that well with you dare strive.'

That is how the raid on Berting's Land opens; as Berting's Land
seems to be Bretagne, his achievements prove the superiority of
the German Round Table over the Breton one. An unknown
minstrel supposed he made an attack on Denmark in the same
spirit.

King Diderik sends King Holger word,

and thus he bade him say:
'What, whether wilt thou strive with us,
or wilt thou tribute pay?*

Holger refused, and won his fight, as he had previously won his
duel against the giant Burmand, who was also thought of as one of
those powerful Germans who perpetually threatened the southern
frontier of Denmark.

The saga is interesting also for the notice it takes of the Russian
hero Il'ja of Murom. He is called TFjas af Greka' and is supposed
to be the bastard son of Hertnit ( =0rtnit), whose eldest son
Osantrix ruled in Lusatia, and his second was Valdimar or Vladimir
of Pulinaland. 'Ilias von Riuzen' is also mentioned in Ortnit; he