Gunther (in Latin Gundaharius and in Anglicized Old Norse Gunnar) was a king of the Burgundians west of the Rhine from at least 411 to his death in 437. Legendary tales about Gundaharius appear in Latin, medieval German, Old Norse, and Old English texts, especially concerning his relations with Siegfried (in Old Norse Sigurd) and the death of Gunther from treachery in the hall of Attila the Hun.

Historical information

According to Olympiodorus (11), in 411 Jovinus was proclaimed tyrannos of Moundiakon in Germania Secunda through the support of the Alan Goar and of Guntiarios who was called commander of the Burgundians.

After the defeat of Jovinus in 413, the Burgundians were permitted by Rome to settle in Gaul, on the Rhine and it may have been then that Gundaharius first established the Burgundian Kingdom west of the Rhine with Worms as its capital.

In 435 the Burgundians attempted to thrust farther westward but were defeated by the Roman general Aetius. In 437 the Huns (perhaps with the support of Aetius) attacked and destroyed the Burgundian kingdom. Gundaharius met his death and the surviors were allowed by the Romans to settle in Savoy. Attila himself seems to have had no part in this since, at least according to Priscus, in 435 Attila was negotiating peace with Romans at Margus in upper Moesia and until 439 was occupied with subduing the nations of Scythia and warring on the Sorosgi.

Gundaharius' successor was Gundioc, whose relation to Gundaharius is unknown.

In the Lex Burgundionum', issued by the Burgundian king Gundobad (c. 480–516), it is decreed that those who were free under the kings Gibica, Gundomar, Gislaharius, and Gundaharius will remain free. In later Germanic legend Gunther appears directly as the son of Gibica or Gibeche/Gjúki. In German acccounts his brothers are named Gernot and Giselher (all three called kings in the Nibelungenlied). Norse tradition knows of a younger brother named Gotthorm (Gotþormr) which might dervie from Gundomar. This suggests that historically the king Gibica of the Bungrundian Laws might have been the father of three kings Gundomar, Gislaharius, and Gundaharius who shared the kingdom, presumably with Gundaharius being the high king. But if so, the order of the names here is puzzling. One would expect Gundaharius to be named immediately after Gibica.

In legend

In the Waltharius Gibicho and his son Guntharius are kings of the Franks, whereas the king of the Burgundians is named Heriricus who is father to Hiltgunt, the heroine of the story. Hagen appears here as a kinsman of Gibicho and Guntharius, but the relationship is not made explicit. In their combats with Waltharius, Guntharius loses a leg, Hagen loses half his face and one eye, and Waltharius loses a hand. But there is no hint in later tales that Gunther is in any way maimed. Another version of the story of Waltharius and Hiltgunt appears in the Norse Thidreks saga, but in this account Gunther/Gunnar plays no part at all.

Gunther otherwise only appears in tales relating to Siegfried/Sigurd and the fall of the Burgundians.

Gunther/Gunnar seeks to make Brünhild/Brynhild his wife but can win her and master her only because the hero Siegfried/Sigurd aids him and takes his place. Siegfried/Sigurd marries Gunther/Gunnar's sister Kriemhild/Gudrún. An impassioned debate between Brünhild/Brynhild and Kriemhild/Gudrún about their respective status leads to the secret being revealed and to Gunther/Gunnar agreeing to Sigfried/Sigurd's murder.

In the story of the fall of the Burgundians, in various texts, Gunther and his brothers, despite deep suspicions of treachery, accept an invitation from Etzel/Atli (= Attila) to visit his court. There Gunther and his brothers meet their deaths.

Forms of the name

The name appears in Olympiodorus as Guntiarios, in Prosper of Aquitaine's Chronica Minora Saec as Gundicharius, in the Leges Burgundionum as Gundaharius, in Ekkehard of St. Gall's Latin poem Waltharius as Guntharius, in the Old English poem Waldere as Guthere (Gúðere), in medieval German as Gunther, and in Old Norse as Gunnar (accurate Old Norse nominative form Gunnarr). Reconstructed Germanic forms such as Gundahari, Gundahar, and Gundacar are sometimes used.

See also

See also Burgundians, Nibelung, Volsunga saga.