Dietmar, king of Bern, was the father of Dietrich. His death while Dietrich was still young left the hero's kingdom vulnerable to Ermenrich's treachery.
Dietrich married Herrat during his long exile at Etzel's court, taking a wife far from the kingdom he could not reclaim.
Etzel hosted Dietrich at the Hunnic court for thirty years of exile, providing warriors and resources for Dietrich's campaigns to reclaim Bern from Ermenrich. Their alliance made Dietrich the foremost champion of the Hunnic king.
Heime fought as Dietrich von Bern's foremost companion through exile and battle across the Dietrich cycle, wielding the sword Nagelring at his lord's side in the Þiðreks saga, Rosengarten zu Worms, and Biterolf — until their bond broke and Heime fled to a monastery.
Hildebrand stood at Dietrich's side through thirty years of exile, his master-at-arms and most loyal companion. The old warrior fought in every campaign to reclaim Bern and was the last of Dietrich's original retainers still standing.
Ermenrich seized Dietrich's kingdom of Bern through treachery, driving the hero into thirty years of exile at Etzel's court. Dietrich waged repeated campaigns to reclaim his lands, each ending in devastating losses of his closest companions.
Witege, once Dietrich's companion, defected to Ermenrich and slew Dietrich's young nephews at the Battle of Ravenna. Dietrich pursued him in fire-breathing rage, but Witege escaped into the sea, leaving Dietrich to grieve over the bodies of his kin.
Dietrich slew the giant Ecke after a fierce nighttime battle and claimed his great sword Eckesachs as a trophy.
Dietrich von Bern slew the giant Fasolt in single combat during his adventures in the Þiðreks saga.
The giant Sigenot captured Dietrich and imprisoned him in a cave until Hildebrand came to the rescue. Freed, Dietrich slew the giant in combat.
Dietrich captured Hagen and Gunther in single combat at the end of the Nibelungenlied and delivered them bound to Kriemhild, the last great warrior standing after the destruction of both the Burgundian and Hunnic forces.
Dietrich trampled Laurin's enchanted rose garden in the Tyrolean mountains, provoking the dwarf king to battle. Though Laurin fought with a magic belt of strength and a cloak of invisibility, Dietrich defeated him and brought him captive to Bern.
The young Dietrich von Bern rescued Queen Virginal of Jeraspunt from a heathen siege, proving his heroic worth in one of his earliest adventures in the poem that bears her name.
In some Germanic folk traditions, Dietrich von Bern rides at the head of the Wild Hunt in place of Wodan. This substitution reflects how the historical Theodoric the Great was mythologized into Wodan's role as leader of the spectral host.
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