Resumen de Zwischen Hildebrand und Hadubrand: Held und Zeit im Hildebrandslied
The Lay of Hildebrand represents the paradox core of heroic narrative. While Hildebrand illustrates an archaic, pre-narrative concept of hero and heroic poetry, Hadubrand’s discourse develops a younger, markedly narrative concept. Hildebrand’s notion of language and symbol claims, like in the older Eddic poetry, that there is no discrepancy between word and meaning; however, Hadubrand’s discourse uses a narrative structure similar to that of the later German epics, where the narrator must always be aware of the arbitrary nature of signifiers. Therefore, an idealized heroic image emerges in Hadubrand’s story of the past, yet still reveals Hadubrand’s own story. In the end, the dialog of the two challengers representing two armies shifts to battle and returns to song, as the fight is not developed in a broader epic description, but is represented in the concise formulaic language of the older poetry. In this way the Lay of Hildebrand is a small masterpiece that illustrates the powerful struggle between poetic concepts.
