Waltharius: The Latin Epic of Walther of Aquitaine

• Waltharius, the Latin epic of Walther of Aquitaine, is one of the great monuments of medieval European literature. Set in a fifth-century world of Goths, Huns, Franks, and Burgundians, this poem from the ninth or tenth century tells a lively tale of escape, treachery, and pitched battle. It recounts the daring escape of Walther and his betrothed, Hildegund, from the court of Attila the Hun, the pursuit of the lovers by Gunther and the Franks, and the moral dilemma of Hagen, who is Gunther’s vassal and Walther’s sworn friend. In their new edition and translation, professors Brian Murdoch and Leonard Neidorf endeavour to make Waltharius more accessible, available, and engaging than it has ever been before. 

• In addition to a facing-page presentation of the Latin text with modern English verse translation, the book contains an extensive introduction, copious notes, and up-to-date bibliography, equipping readers with all that they need to understand and appreciate this masterpiece of early medieval literature. 

Waltharius, Latin, Medieval, Epic, Germanic Mythology

• BRIAN MURDOCH received his PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is Professor Emeritus of German at Stirling University in Scotland, where he taught for most of his career. He has held Visiting Fellowships at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, at Magdalen College, Oxford, and Oriel College, Oxford. He has published numerous articles and books on medieval German and Latin literatures. His monographs include Old High German Literature (Twayne, 1983), The Germanic Hero (Hambledon, 1996), and Gregorius (Oxford University Press, 2012). As a literary translator, Murdoch’s works include Kudrun(Dent, 1987), All Quiet on the Western Front (Bodley Head, 1993), The Poems of Gaius Valerius Catullus (Choir Press, 2023) and Three Political Tales from Medieval Germany (Boydell & Brewer, 2024). 

• LEONARD NEIDORF received his PhD from Harvard University. He has been Professor of English at Nanjing University since 2016. He is the author of two monographs: The Transmission of Beowulf (2017) and The Art and Thought of the Beowulf Poet (2022), both of which were published by Cornell University Press. In collaboration with Tom Shippey, Neidorf edited Beowulf: Translation and Commentary (Uppsala Books, 2023). Neidorf has published more than 100 papers on medieval literature, which have appeared in a wide range of prominent journals, including ELH, Folklore, Traditio, and Journal of Germanic Linguistics. He is an Associate Editor of English Studies and the Editor-in-Chief of The Explicator.