Elegast is the hero

Hero

A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...

 and noble robber in the poem Karel ende Elegast, a Medieval Dutch epic poem

Epic poetry

An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...

 that has been translated into English as Charlemagne and Elbegast. In the poem, he possibly represents the King of the Elves. He appears as a knight on a black horse, an outcast vassal of Charlemagne

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...

 living in the forest. The original Dutch poem uses the name Elegast, while translated versions of the poem commonly use the name Elbegast in German and English, or Alegast in the Skandavian ballad.

Karel ende Elegast

Karel ende Elegast was an original poem in Dutch that scholars think was probably written at the end of the 12th century, otherwise in the 13th century and set in the region of Charlemagne's castle in Ingelheim. It is a Frankish romance of Charlemagne ("Karel") as an exemplary Christian king

Mythological king

A mythological king is an archetype in mythology. A king is considered a "mythological king" if he is included and described in the culture's mythology. Unlike a fictional king, aspects of their lives may have been real and legendary, or that the culture believed to be real...

 who was led on a strange quest to be a robber.

Although the poem does not describe Elegast's background, he was an old friend of Charlemagne that had fallen into disgrace, and his banishment to the forest and his name connotes he was elven

Elf

An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...

. Elegast could put people to sleep magically, could open locks without keys, and has a magic herb that when he puts in his mouth allows him to talk to animals. He lived in the forest, thief to the rich people and kind to poor people.

In summary, Charlemagne has a heavenly vision to go thieving in disguise, so meets with Elegast in the forest at night. Elegast does not recognize the king, as Charlemagne is in disguise as a thief. When Charlemagne suggests they steal from the king's castle, Elegast proves his loyalty to Charlemagne by refusing to steal from the king. Instead, Elegast takes Charlemagne to burglarize the castle of Charlemagne's brother-in-law, Eggeric van Eggermonde. Once they break into the castle, Elegast overhears Eggeric scheming to kill Charlemagne to his wife, who is Charlemagne's sister. In this way Charlemagne learns of a traitor in his court. The next day, when Eggeric arrives in Charlemagne's court, Charlemagne has Eggeric searched and finds his weapons. Elegast duels with Eggeric and exposes him as a traitor. Eggeric is therefore killed, and his wife is given in marriage to Elegast. Elegast's reputation is also restored in the Charlemagne court.

Origins of Elegast

The names Elegast and Alegast, are variants of the Teutonic

Teutons

The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani...

 name Elbegast.

It is composed of two proto-Germanic words: "Alb" or "elbe" means "elf

Elf

An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...

" and "elves", respectively. The word "gast" means either "guest", "spirit" or "stranger" and is found in Old Saxon, Old German, Middle Low German, Old High German, and Middle High German, as well as Middle Dutch.

There is one dwarf named Elbegast in Eddic

Edda

The term Edda applies to the Old Norse Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, both of which were written down in Iceland during the 13th century in Icelandic, although they contain material from earlier traditional sources, reaching into the Viking Age...

 texts. According to Low German legends, Elbegast was a dwarf who could steal eggs from under birds. In folklore and legends of Northern Europe, Elbegast was called the king of both the elves and dwarves.

Some scholars propose Elegast is the character Alberich

Alberich

Alberich was a legendary sorcerer who originated in the mythology or epic sagas of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty of the 5th to 8th century AD, and whose name means king of the elves , who possessed the ability to become invisible...

, whose name means "king of the elves". Alberich was a sorcerer in Merovingian epics of the 5th to 8th century.

Context

This poetry is unique in the reference to Charlemagne (the "Christian" King) being friends with a character who could be symbolic of an elf or dwarf figure of the forest, as well Charlemagne trying robbery on divine inspiration. In this friendship, the poem combines Frankish legends of Charlemagne with some Dutch-Germanic mythology

Germanic paganism

Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...

. The poem is also unique that a Dutch character Elegast is a hero, most other poems of the time concern Frankish people as the hero. Elegast is possibly symbolic of the Dutch people's pre-Christian myth of an ancient elf or folk hero. In the pre-Christian mythology the dwelling in the forest is a religious and sacred dwelling place.

Historically the epic poem may be about a real insurrection against Charlemagne

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...

 that occurred (circa 785?), as the following event was noted in 1240 by Albericus Triumfontium:

"By the Austracians

Austrians

Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....

 a dangerous plot was hatched against Charlemagne, of which Hardericus was the instigator. At the discovery of the plot many were dismembered and many were banished. [ ... ] And, as is told in a song, in order to discover this plot, Charlemagne, urged by an angel, went out thieving at night."

According to legend, Ingelheim (meaning "Angel's Home") was named after the angel that Charlemagne saw in the vision.

Adaptations

Adaptations and translations:

• Dutch: Karel ende Elegast (modern: Karel en Elegast)
• Skandanavian: Alegast Vise (Ballad of Alegast)
• Middle Danish: Krønike by Karl Magnus
• Norse: Karlamagnús saga
• English: Ingelheim: Charlemagne the Robber by Lewis Spencer.
• French epic: Chanson de Basin (a lost manuscript), Vie de Charlemagne
• German: Karlmeinet

External links

• Karel ende Elegast - Full text in Middle Dutch.
• Ingelheim: Charlemagne the Robber - narrative adaptation in English.