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Witege

Witege, Witige or Wittich (Old English: Wudga, Widia; Gotho-Latin: Vidigoia) or Vidrik "Vidga" Verlandsson (Old Norse: Vidrīk + Viðga or Videke + Verlandsson, Vallandsson, or Villandsson) is a character in several Germanic heroic legends, poems about Dietrich von Bern, and later Scandinavian ballads.

In German legends, he was one of the warriors of Dietrich von Bern, but betrayed him and took instead the side of his wicked Uncle Ermenrich. In one of the Scandinavian ballads (TSB E 119), he won particular fame in his duel with Langben Rese/Risker (the giant Etgeir in the Þiðrekssaga).

During the Middle Ages, he became the son of Wayland the Smith and Böðvildr, and this entitled him to carry a hammer and tongs in his coat of arms. Later the origin of his name "Wayland's son" was forgotten, but the fame of the character prevailed. During the 16th and the 17th centuries, this led to the idea that his name "Villandsson" referred to Villand Hundred in Skåne, and the hundred duly began to use his coat of arms as its own. Wudga wielded the sword Mimung, forged by his father, as was the helmet he wore. His mount was the stallion Schimming, one of the finest horses of its age.

One of the earliest appearances of Wudga is in the poem Widsith, lines 123-130, where he appears together with his friend Háma (Heimir):

Rædhere sohte ic ond Rondhere,
Rumstan ond Gislhere,
Wiþergield ond Freoþeric,
Wudgan ond Haman;
(125) ne wæran þæt gesiþa
þa sæmestan,
þeah þe ic hy anihst
nemnan sceolde.
Ful oft of þam heape
hwinende fleag
giellende gar
on grome þeode;
wræccan þær weoldan
wundnan golde
(130) werum ond wifum,
Wudga ond Hama.

Raedhere sought I and Rondhere,
Rumstan and Gislhere,
Withergield and Freotheric,
Wudga and Hama;
(125) not that these comrades were
the worst,
though I in the last place
name in this song.
Often from that group
hissing in flight
yelled the spear
at fierce people;
pressing their rule
to the gilded gold
(130) of men and women,
were Wudga and Hama.

In the Anglo-Saxon fragment known as Waldere, Wudga (Widia) is mentioned together with his father Wayland in a praise of Mimung, Waldere's sword that Weyland had made.

:::... me ce bæteran
buton ðam anum, ðe ic eac hafa,
on stanfate stille gehided.
Ic wat þæt hit dohte Ðeodric Widian
selfum onsendon, ond eac sinc micel
maðma mid ði mece, monig oðres mid him
golde gegirwan, iulean genam,
þæs ðe hine of nearwum Niðhades mæg,
Welandes bearn, Widia ut forlet,
ðurh fifela geweald forð onette.

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