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.

[1] 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.

[1] 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).

[1][2] 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.

[3] 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.

:::... 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.

In Virginal, Witige, together with Heime, is one of the warriors who saves Dietrich from captivity in the hands of giants—a situation reminiscent of that in Waldere.

[9] In the so-called "historical" poems, which seem to take place after the fantastical ones, Witege has betrayed Dietrich and joined his wicked Uncle Ermenrich.

In the Rabenschlacht, Witege reluctantly kills the two sons of Etzel and Dietrich's brother Diether when he is forced to fight them.

Witege probably has a historic basis in either the Gothic national hero Vidigoia, or in Vitiges, a king of the Ostrogoths.

[1] According to Jordanes, Vidigoia was Gothorum fortissimus and defeated the Sarmatians with a ruse for which he became the subject of epic songs among the Goths.

[15] This king gave away Ravenna in 540 to a minor force led by Belisarius and the surrender was held to be a disgrace by his fellow Goths.