The Historical Background
Although there is no evidence that Hildebrand himself was a historical character, the background to the poem is formed by historical events in 6th century Italy, where the Ostrogothic King Theodoric fought for mastery of Italy against Odoacer, the Germanic general who had deposed the emperor, Romulus Augustulus. Theodoric appears widely in Germanic legend as Dietrich von Bern (Verona).
Theodoric's Gothic Kingdom of Italy was subsequently seized by the Lombards, who had close connections with the Bavarians in South Germany, both speaking closely related Upper German dialects. This accounts for the transmission of legendary material relating to Theodoric northwards. Even if the Scandinavian analogues did not suggest wider dissemination, the close links between Bavaria and Fulda - the first abbot Sturmi was a member of the Bavarian nobility - would in any case be sufficient to account for knowledge of this material in the monastery.
The Hildebrandslied hints at Theodoric's legendary (and historically incorrect) connection with Attila, which is also seen in the Nibelungenlied.
Read more about this topic: Lay Of Hildebrand
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