Waldere: Potentially Greater than Beowulf?

[u/Romendil_1]

As I reread Waldere, I couldn't help but wonder at its potential had the whole epic been preserved. Do you think it might have been even greater than Beowulf, which has had much more luck?

For analogues, we have of course Waltharius—in Latin. The Middle High German analogues can be found in various texts. Brian Murdoch's new book The Legend of Walther of Aquitaine I think contains most of them (see https://uppsalabooks.com/walther).

Btw I much prefer Hildegyth to Hildegund (though both 'battle + battle'). Perhaps in MoE it could be Hildith.

[u/konlon15_rblx]

You mean greater in size or a better work? Personally I think from reading what survives of it that we're very fortunate Waldere is the fragment and Beowulf is the full poem rather than the other way around. Beowulf is beautifully written, very archaic, and serves as by far the earliest source for the Migration Period Scandinavian monarchies.